Steel Thy Heart
by mat528
Summary: What happens when Superman and Catwoman fall for each other after both have suffered breakups from their significant others? An Alternate Universes story. ON TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: This is based off of the "Superman Returns" movie, in that it is after the Man of Steel has returned to Earth. It is also based off of the "Justice League" and "Justice League: Unlimited" cartoons. **

**The idea in this story was discussed by me and a friend of mine, Karyl, to whom this work is dedicated.**

**As usual, I don't own nothin' except my story…'nuff said.**

**Synopsis: What happens when, after each suffers a devastating breakup, the cat and the man from Kansas get together?**

CHAPTER ONE

Selina Kyle made her way through the boutique, letting her sorrows be drowned in shopping rather than liquor. Spying a dress that cost a small fortune, the thief eyed it, speculating if she should pay for it, or just simply put its theft on her "to do" list for later on after the store was closed.

_I've got to stop thinking about him! _She admonished herself.

Her thoughts turned back to 24 hours ago. She flashed back to a certain winged vigilante, and a posh hotel room. When she had contacted Bruce Wayne, Selina had decided after almost a decade of pussy footing around (pardon the pun,) that she would finally make her choice to snag the bat. It wasn't as though she didn't know who the Dark Knight was, and she knew that, despite their bad luck in relationships, they could make it work if they thought things through and took a chance.

Besides, she reasoned as the crow's feet starting to creep around her eyes attested, she wasn't getting any younger, and there were laugh lines developing around Bruce's mouth too, despite his attempt to hide them. She went through a systematic check of the room. The tuna steaks she had ordered were cooked to perfection: lightly seared, with just a hint of garlic and peppercorn; rice, brown and healthy; salad made from the crispest Romaine lettuce, plum tomatoes, and a bottle of white wine from California. She had even paid for all of this, not expecting Bruce to pick up the tab since this evening was by _her _design.

There was a knock at the door. After one final check to see that her hair, makeup, lime green dress matching her eyes and her peridot colored earrings were in place, Selina opened the door.

Bruce stood in it, his navy designer suit resplendent. The crisp, white shirt and matching navy trousers caressed his muscles like a long lost lover in all the right places. He had flowers in one hand, and catnip for her cats in the other. His deep royal blue eyes, always intense, always serious, did a leisurely perusal of her gown and the upsweep of her dark hair.

"Bruce," Selina mocked, taking him by the arm, "what a pleasant surprise."

Bruce allowed a ghost of a smirk on his face. "I was in the neighborhood," he greeted smoothly, now totally in his 'playboy' element, "and I thought I'd stop by."

"I have dinner for us," Selina said, gesturing to the table. They ate, keeping a companionable silence, then Bruce casually wiped his mouth.

"What did you want to see me about?" Bruce asked, all business as he usually tended to be.

"I never was one for small talk, so let's cut to the chase," she said. "You know that it's more than evident that we have been dancing around each other for…what has it been now…ten years?"

"Actually," Bruce remarked, shaking out his napkin and putting it beside his empty plate, "it's been about nine and a half."

Selina waved his accuracy away, saying, "Whatever. The point is that we don't have any more secrets hanging between us. I think that we should take our relationship to the next level."

Bruce raised a brow, saying slowly, "We already did that."

"No, no, not _that!" _Selena told him. She took a breath, ignoring her hands which were now sweating beneath the table.

"I mean, no one knows you like I do, and no one knows me like you do, and I really think that we were meant to be together…forever," she said. Selina took the small black box that was in her other hand and slid it over to Bruce. For once, something she never thought she'd see on The Batman's handsome face made an appearance: Bruce was shocked. His eyes widened as he took in her sincere expression. He opened the box and saw a man's engagement ring, its red stones clustered amongst the gold bands in it.

"Say something," Selina bid softly. She tried to take Bruce's hand, but he stood abruptly, crossing over to the huge window with the view of Gotham's night sky. Crossing his hands behind his back, he became distant, just as he always did.

"And what made you arrive at this decision?" he asked after a moment. "Did you do this because now you know that I'm Batman?"

Selina went to stand behind him. He could smell her sweat and the essence of wildflowers. "No, Bruce," she answered. "I care for you, and you care for me, I know it. I don't know if that's love, per se, but I do know that we respect each other, and we work well together…"

"Except when you go against the law," Bruce reminded her. Selina went as stiff as a frozen fish stick. She felt her anger rise as it always did whenever Bruce or anyone else mentioned her life as Catwoman.

"All right, Bruce," she said, "you know as well as I do that I've never been a girl scout. But it seems to me that you are the pot calling the kettle black. You go against the law all the time."

Bruce turned around, his blue eyes piercing as he spoke his next words with his deep, Batmanesque voice: "Yes, but when I do it, it isn't by choice. It's because I _have_ to. You do it because you _want_ to."

"And that makes it right?" she flung back at him, her tone venomous. "Breaking the law is _breaking the law!"_

Bruce's lips were in a thin line as he said in a cold voice, "That's why it will never work between us. I'm sorry Selina, but the answer is no. I can't marry you."

Selina swallowed the tears that threatened to form as she said, "I see. Well, I guess there's nothing more to be said…"

Bruce crossed over to her, saying a little more warmly, "There is something else. I was going to meet with you anyway before you called."

"Why?" Selina asked, feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach all of a sudden.

"I've met someone," Bruce said simply. He handed her back the box with the ring in it. She stared down at it, her mind not quite connecting with what had just happened. Okay, she reasoned, he said that he had met someone, but Bruce was always meeting people, especially rich, desirable women, and he never went home with any of them. How bad could this be?

"Who is she?" Selina asked in a small voice.

"Her name is Diana, and she's—" Bruce started explaining.

Selena cut him off sharply, snapping, "Is she a six-foot-four Amazonian princess from Themyscera, by any chance?"

"Yes," Bruce said patiently, "and sheath your claws, kitty cat. We've been seeing each other off-and-on for awhile now."

"How long has this been going on?" Selina asked, totally crushed.

"About six months," Bruce told her. His next words held a touch of sympathy as he spoke them. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I wasn't sure how this relationship would progress," he said. "I _am_ sorry, Selina."

Not waiting for a response, Bruce walked out of the room, and out of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Clark Kent's eyes followed Richard White and his bride, Lois Lane down the aisle as the joyful couple ran to the limousine waiting out front. He had to admit it, Lois looked fantastic in her wedding dress, complete with a tall stovepipe hat, and train. Her shoulders were bare, and Richard eyed her appreciatively as they got in the car with Clark's eight-year-old son, Jason.

Clark knew he had no right to feel as he felt, and the guilt welling up inside sent him to the nearest hiding place to change into Superman to fly away. He was still feeling the sting of Lois's rejection despite the fact that it had all been his fault. He was the one who had left without saying "good bye"; he was the one who abandoned her and all of planet Earth to search for what he had thought was another part of Krypton. Appropriately, he was also the one who hadn't found anything that he could take home, let alone call home.

He also couldn't blame Richard. The nephew of Clark's employer, Perry White, was a handsome man who was kindhearted and loved Jason to pieces. It didn't matter to Richard that Jason wasn't his own flesh and blood son. The junior editor had accepted the little boy without question, and without judging Lois. Although Richard had had reservations about Superman, he had been good natured about it, not badmouthing the superhero to either Lois, or Jason. Richard even took time to notice Clark, which was something no one ever did, except for Jimmy Olson, the Daily Planet's photographer. In the face of all that, Clark was hard pressed to be even the slightest bit jealous of Lois being with Richard.

So, rather than give into what his sinful nature was suggesting, Clark put off the idea that he use his heat vision to burn Richard into a charcoal briquette and decided to fly away as Superman instead. As the Man of Steel let the wind blow through his jet black hair, he also let the torments of his love life ebb away. Although he often went to Martha Kent, his adoptive mother in Smallville whenever he had a problem, Superman decided that he didn't want to bother her this time. Ever since he knew Lois was seeing Richard, he had gone to his mother for comfort, a little boy lost. Sometimes, he would talk to Jonn Jonzz, the Martian Manhunter, in the Watchtower too; the fellow alien was like a kindred soul to him, since both had lost their people. But Superman knew that one had to handle one's own problems and face one's demons at some point without always running home to Ma or the brother you wish you had but didn't.

Flying always gave him a thrill, though he had never told anyone. There was something about letting the breeze go through your hair and seeing the world from way up in the clouds that made things seem less dire and more manageable. Maybe it was because, from a distance, the houses, cars, people, and other distractions looked like little statues or toys rather than what they were; maybe it was because the lines of racism, alienation, prejudice, and other petty squabbles humans engaged in were blurred from up there. After all, there were no map lines drawn, no computer images pumped into people's minds shouting that there was a difference between skin colors, countries, aliens.

After about an hour of soul searching, Superman sighed. He didn't hear any immediate cries for help that he felt he should attend to, but, as he knew, duty never took a rest. The Man of Tomorrow took a device out of his cape's pocket, teleporting to the Watchtower which was a little outside of Earth's atmosphere.

"Greetings, Kal-El," the Martian's deep, harmonious voice said as he punched controls into the viewing screen. Locations from around the globe flashed, showing different situations, different levels of emergencies.

Although Superman was used to J'onn's telepathic abilities, and he had seen them in countless other beings encountered by the Justice League, he still sometimes was a little creeped out by the Martian's talent for reading minds.

"Hi, J'onn," Superman said. He went closer to the viewing screen, peering at the scenes of fires and floods going on.

"Do you have anything for me?" the Man of Steel asked hopefully.

"Actually," his Martian friend said, "I do not. It seems that the governments of the world are handling their crises quite adroitly."

"What about the war on Alton Seven?" Superman asked. Alton Seven had been engaged in conflicts for several months hence. It looked as though they would have an interplanetary war in their galaxy unless the League intervened.

"Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern have not reported in yet on that," the Manhunter said. As if on cue, the screen blinked. J'onn pressed the communications switch on his control board. Wonder Woman's beautiful face filled the screen, her expression looking tired.

"Wonder Woman reporting," she said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, we were just talking about you," the Martian said. "How are things up there?"

"Dicey," Diana replied, "but no fires to put out yet. Batman is trying to solve the mystery of what happened to the Prince here. He disappeared two days ago, and he's needed to keep the peace. So far, though, both factions are at a stalemate." She switched from being tired to being annoyed.

"I just wish they'd make up their minds on things," she muttered. Upon seeing Superman behind J'onn, the Amazonian Princess greeted, "Hello, Clark."

"Hi, Diana," Superman greeted back. "Are you sure you don't need any help right now? I could be there in…"

"No, no," Wonder Woman responded. "It's okay for now, but I promise, we'll call if things get any worse. Wonder Woman out." The screen went black. Superman wished just then that there would have been something going on on Alton Seven that required his attention. J'onn Jonzz picked up on the Man of Steel's thoughts.

"You really should take advantage of this introspective time," the Martian advised. "It isn't every day that the Earth and other worlds seem content to handle their own problems without too much aid from us."

"I know, J'onn," the Man of Steel said, feeling guilty again. "It's just that, well, I'm having problems in my social life, and…"

"I know," the Martian said sympathetically, turning from the screen to face Kal El. "I saw the broadcasts of the wedding up here. It is difficult when the woman you love is taken away from you. It reminds me of another friend of ours, though he had a unique way of handling that."

Superman crossed his arms, saying, "I am _not _cloning myself and going to another Earth in another universe that I could destroy every time I travel there to be with Lois. That's a bit much, and anyway, the original is going through his own love life crisis."

The Martian agreed, "Yes, correct. Not a good example to give you."

"It's just that," Superman said in a troubled voice, "I just want to tear Richard's hair out, or burn him with my heat vision, for even touching Lois. Every time I think of those two together, it just drives me nuts!"

"I understand," J'onn replied. "It is not easy to control feelings of jealousy."

"The worst part is: Richard is genuinely _nice,_" Superman said almost in a disgusted tone, "and it's not a put on! He even said I could be a part of Jason's life after he found out that Jason was my son. It would be so much easier if he were a total slime, like Luthor, but Richard isn't! I try to find something I can dislike about the guy, but I find myself warming up to him, which I suppose is great for Lois and Jason, but it's horrible for me!"

"Perhaps you should stop focusing on them, especially while they are not in Metropolis to grab your attention," J'onn Jonzz advised.

"Out of sight, out of mind?" Superman asked.

The Martian nodded, saying, "Something like that."

"You're right," Superman responded, "but if there are no emergencies…"

The Martian turned back to the screen. He saw a figure in a purple outfit with long, flowing black hair taking a gem from a glass case. Superman looked, then, before J'onn could say anything further, the Man of Steel teleported to the location.


	3. Chapter 3

STEEL THY HEART: CHAPTER THREE

**A/N: Catwoman in this series is taken from the Jim Balent series. I know that she looks different now, but since this is an Alternate Universes story, I am playing a little…**

Using the sophisticated teleportation device created in Star Labs for the Watchtower, Superman materialized instantly inside Metropolis Gemological Museum. He saw the dark haired woman put the gem in her pocket and, before she could flee the scene, grabbed her arm.

"Hey!" she cried. He took the gem out of her pocket. While he still held onto her, Man of Steel went to the glass structure the emerald had rested in.

Spying another gem which resembled it, the Kryptonian focused his microscopic vision on the case. "A copy," he pronounced, staring back at the woman. "You villains, always the same. Did you think I wouldn't know?"

She continued not saying anything as the Man of Tomorrow got a better look at her. The only thing he saw clearly was the bottom of her face. It was heart shaped, and had perfect, plump lips which were colored with a deep shade of lipstick. The purple outfit she wore left nothing to the imagination. Her hourglass curves were proudly displayed, as was her ample cleavage. Flat, perfectly toned abs and muscular arms were part of the attractive package, but would one expect less from the legendary Catwoman?

Superman said to her, "Come on. We've got a date with the pol—"

"What's going on in here?" a voice asked, his accent slightly from northern Louisiana territory. It was followed by a portly, olive skinned security guard in the traditional grey uniform for guards in museums in Metropolis.

The guards brows shot up as his dark eyes widened. He had never before seen Superman on his watch. The older man usually got the more boring assignments, so there was no reason for Man of Steel to stop any thefts from the museum. Beyond the red and blue suited superhero, the Catwoman (or so he'd read in a copy of the Daily Planet once,) was being taken in tow. The guard whipped out a pair of 'cuffs, but Superman waved them away with his free hand.

"Those won't work on this type of burglar," he said. "I have to restrain her." Looking around the museum, Superman saw a metal grate in the floor. He grabbed a tiny piece of the metal and, using his heat vision, bent the metal around her struggling frame.

"Call the cops," he ordered the astonished guard. The security guard sprang into action, calling on his cell.

XXXXXXXXXX

Presently, the Man of Steel watched as Trina Davis, the new inspector of the Metropolis Crime Division, carefully took evidence from the scene. The forty year old cop dusted for prints and told her staff to gather what evidence they could, although she knew that since Catwoman always wore gloves, it was a waste of time. Inspector Davis was an African American woman who stepped in from time to time when the regular inspector, Maggie Sawyer, went out of town. Maggie had gone to a lecture on enhancement of police procedures and would not be back for two weeks. During that time, her pupil, Katrina Davis, usually substituted.

Trina was a no-nonsense, deadly serious woman who took crime solving very seriously, just as she took everything in life. She had circles under her deep eyes set in a deep brown face, the result from examining burglary reports over many sleepless nights. Her bags were carefully concealed by artfully arranged makeup. Her hair was in a short afro which suited her square jaw very well. A tall, lean non-descript figure completed the rest of her body.

"Well," she told Superman in a crisp voice, "It appears we don't have a lot to go on, but at least we have you and the security guard who placed her at the scene of the crime."

A uniformed cop came into the room with the guard presently, holding up a video tape. "Lieutenant," the cop said. "This tape has her breaking and entering. It shows her making off—" his eyes danced on the Man of Steel before he continued. "—or at least _trying_ to make off with the emerald."

Superman was in deep thought. The Lieutenant picked up his cue and dismissed the cop, saying, "All right, take the guard down to the station." To the guard, she said, "We need to get your statement." The guard nodded eagerly, over the moon that finally he had had a little bit of excitement during his four years on his museum assignment.

"Something?" she asked the Man of Steel as she caught his thoughtful look.

"I don't know," Superman said, "it all seems too convenient somehow."

"Explain," the Lieutenant ordered.

"From everything I've seen and read, Catwoman is one of the best of the best. Why would she leave a tape nailing her as the one who stole the gem? Why also would she so blatantly leave a copy where she would know I'd pick up on it? Not only that, but when she does steal, she steals big! Why take only an emerald reputed to be worth only about fifty thousand dollars when there is at least fifty million dollars worth of gems in this museum?" he asked.

"Who knows? Maybe she needed it for some other purpose," the Lieutenant suggested, her tone indicating that she was more than pleased with nailing the cat burglar with the crime. "Maybe she just got sloppy. It happens with age sometimes. The point is: I'm sure that once we review the tape, she will get ten to twenty for this repeat offense."

The Man of Steel used his superior vision to search each room in the small museum. After about a moment, he turned to the Lieutenant.

"It just doesn't smack of her, Lieutenant," he commented. "For instance, I just did a room to room search. If she had broken in, there would have been some kind of evidence of it: a door ajar; an air vent grille being tampered with. My vision would have picked up on it. Nothing has been disturbed. Not only that, but she usually has a cat with her, to scout out the area and evade the lasers, but my hearing isn't picking up any cats in the vicinity."

Lieutenant Davis rolled her eyes, saying, "Look. I know that you regard this as your city and all and you think you know every criminal's background, but let me say this: I came from Gotham originally. You don't deal with these types of crooks on a daily basis. The Catwoman is more crafty than you might believe. So why don't you go back to your mother ship and let us get on with our investigation, hmm?"

Superman didn't react to the woman's rude dismissal. He was quite used to the police not always being on friendly terms with him, or with any of the Justice League on many occasions. He knew he wouldn't get any answers to his questions until he did a more thorough investigation after the Lieutenant and her coworkers had gone and he compared some findings with the database in the Watchtower.

The Kryptonian let his mind drift back to the nubile, muscular human work of art that had been led away from the museum. If she did commit this crime but the gem had not been what she was really after, he wondered what her real goal had been. A stray thought captured his imagination as he also wondered about the color of her eyes underneath her mask. He had not gotten a good look at them, but he figured they were a very exotic hue. He realized that he wanted very much to find out about them, and beyond that, solve the inconsistencies that existed.

When the Lieutenant and her fellow cops left with the handcuffed cat burglar minutes later, the Man of Steel surveyed the crime scene once more. He checked the glass case itself, but everything looked normal. Too normal, in fact. He recalled that the Batman's computer files in the Justice League's Watchtower showed that Catwoman preferred using her nails to cut glass to steal objects after disabling the alarm system. The glass was still in tact with no abrasions marring it.

"How did she manage to get the gem from the case in the first place?" Superman asked no one in particular. When the next security guard came into the room, the Man of Steel motioned him over.

"Superman," the guard inquired, "what are you doing here?"

"Long story," the Man of Tomorrow told the guard. "I need a favor. Could you deactivate the alarm system on this case in front of us? I need to touch it."

"Well…" the guard mused, "that's an odd request, but I'll see what I can do." He walked out of the room, then came back in presently.

"Alarm's off for that section," he told Superman. The Man of Tomorrow nodded, running his hand along the top. As he continued touching the glass, the superhero felt something. He put his hand up to his nose and sniffed. Giving nothing away, Superman gave his thanks.

"Anything for you, Big Blue," the guard said. "But what's this all about?"

"Going through phases," the Man of Steel replied cryptically. He left the museum and the confused security guard, flying in the night sky.


	4. Chapter 4

STEEL THY HEART: CHAPTER FOUR

Later, in the Watchtower, J'onn and the Flash listened as the Man of Steel relayed his report on the museum robbery. He pulled his hand from his cape's pocket, saying, "I need to have this sample analyzed."

The Flash peered over at the slide and frowned. "I don't see anything," he said, taking it.

"There's something on there. It just isn't visible to the naked eye," Superman told him.

"Did you smell anything? If so, what did it smell like?" the Martian Manhunter asked.

"Nothing I've encountered, but I did detect a trace of something that smelled like Professor Hamilton's laboratory on the case," the caped superhero told the Martian.

"So we're dealing with a chemical that came from Star Labs?" the Flash stated the obvious.

"Possibly. That could explain the fact that nothing was disturbed. This certainly resembles something someone using a chemical substance could do," the green superhero said to the Flash and Superman.

"Yeah," the Flash replied. "Since Bats isn't here, I'll get on it. I'll let you both know if I find anything." The red clad superhero sped into the lab.

"In the meantime, I'll find out where Catwoman's staying while she's at the police station," the Man of Steel told his fellow alien. "Maybe I can pick up a clue."

The green skinned Martian picked up a stray thought from Kal-El. _So, _J'onn thought, _he is intrigued by her. I hope this does not develop into a situation. _Before the Manhunter could talk to him, Superman teleported back to Metropolis.

XXXXXXXXXXX

In her temporary cell at the police station, the woman smiled as she lay upon her cot. So far, things were proceeding exactly the way she wanted them to go. She knew that she would be set free when the evidence was studied, and then she would be at liberty to continue until she reached her overall goal. The woman sat up as she spied a brown jacket out of the corner of her eye. She gazed at a shy, slightly slumping man with horn rimmed glasses sitting on a straight nose. His dark hair gleamed in the harsh lights of the holding area, and his blue eyes were assertive and alert despite his outward projection of meekness. Behind him, a guard escorted the man toward the cell.

"Ten minutes, no more," the guard said, turning his back on the pair.

When the guard was completely gone, the other man turned to face the woman. "Miss Kyle?" he asked. "I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet." Clark whipped out a pad, saying, "I would like to ask a few questions about the robbery."

The woman's brows shot up, but she otherwise said nothing. Clark tried again. "I want to hear your side of the story. Why did you steal a gem worth only $50,000 on the open market?" he asked, his pad open.

The woman shrugged, saying, "I needed the money for my cats."

It was the reporter's turn to raise a brow. "This may be a stupid idea, but you could have just gone to the grocery store and gotten cat food on sale for that," Clark replied dryly.

"Are you making fun of me, Mr. Kent?" the woman asked. Clark shook his head. He suddenly saw the color of the woman's eyes: emerald green, just like the almost stolen jewel. He _had_ to know what secrets resided in those eyes.

"Look, I can probably make this worth your while," he said conspiratorially. "If you tell your story to me, I'll see what I can do."

"I don't think so," the woman told the journalist. "I want a lawyer first."

"I could help you find one," Clark volunteered, "but you must give me _some _information to go on." He poised his pen above the paper, ready to write anything she deigned to tell him.

"Sorry," she said, "but I would rather find my own lawyer and talk with him. Until I do, I will give absolutely no statements to the press." Clark's shoulders slumped even more than usual. He took his card out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.

"Well, after you speak to your lawyer, why don't you give me a call?" he said softly. "I might still be able to help you somehow."

The woman took the card, turning away from the reporter. Clark smiled as he left the holding area, marveling at the latest technology the League was privy to. If she even so much as let out a peep, the sophisticated microchip embedded in the business card would transmit everything she said, giving him some clues. He went to his desk at the Planet and, activating the receiver embedded in his computer, settled in front of his terminal to wait.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the guard brought the burglar to the pay phone to make her one phone call, the woman quickly punched in the numbers she had been waiting to call.

"Hello?" a voice said on the other end of the line. It was a male, harsh sounding voice, with a Russian or Albanian accent.

"The trap has been sprung," the woman said into the phone. "Now, you must act."

"Of course," the man said. "I will make sure that there are enough clues in the apartment to complete the next stage. When you get out, you will go back there."

"To the Cheshire Gates Apartments again?" the woman asked. "Whatever for?"

"It is your home until we complete our plans," the man said. "Just remember to stick to the scenario we set."

"Oh, don't worry," the woman promised. "I will stick to the plan. Once our goal is complete, we shall celebrate."

"There will be ample time for congratulations so long as you don't screw this up," the Albainian man replied.

The woman rolled her eyes, saying, "I don't make mistakes! That is why I am handling this one!"

"Of course," the man said, projecting false confidence. "I will see you when I am able. Good bye."

The phone call was terminated. After the last click of the line, the Big Blue Boy Scout smiled at all he heard and headed for the Cheshire Gates Apartment complex.


	5. Chapter 5

STEEL THY HEART: CHAPTER FIVE

Selina Kyle finished putting the dresses she had gotten into her closet, not even pausing to inspect what she had bought. On the bed, in the kitchen, and in every room in her apartment, she heard her cats meowing as she either stroked them or fed them. One huge male black cat, the one she had named Bruce, ironically, started scratching at the post she had bought for her pets.

"I wish I could use _him _as a scratching post," Selina snarled, her green eyes blazing. She went over to Bruce the Cat and nuzzled him. Bruce responded by leaping down from the scratching post and curling around her feet.

The Catwoman smiled. "I do so wish Bruce could be like you," she told her cat, picking him up and petting him. "You would never leave me for some Grecian tart who doesn't deserve the title of Princess, eh, boy?"

Bruce meowed, pleased by the attention for a moment, then jumped from her arms. He went off to join a white cat with blue eyes—Duchess. Selina sighed, wondering why fate had wanted to play a cruel joke on her. It wasn't as though she was the most dangerous criminal on the planet. She didn't kill anyone after all, unless it was in self defense. She also made a point to steal only from those who could recoup the loss, or from ruthless tyrants who deserved to be taken down a peg every now and then.

So why, for all of her good efforts, did she have to be raked over the coals in matters of the heart? Was it too much to ask for a good relationship with a good man just once, one who wasn't mentally screwed, or one who didn't mind showing his tender or emotional side, especially where she was concerned? As if on cue, she heard a tapping at her window. Selina stared at the frontal view of the Man of Steel there.

Her eyes danced with mischief as she beheld his football player's body. Bruce had been lighter in his musculature; he was built more like a Ninja warrior, but Superman looked as though he played with the Oakland Raiders or some other famous team. His face had curiosity etched into it, his blue eyes staring at the apartment and taking in every minute detail. Selina was curious as well. When she'd come to Metropolis to get away from the Batman and think things over for a change, the last thing she had expected was a visit from the Man of Steel himself. She allowed herself one last look at his powerful legs and calves, then let him in.

"Superman!" she exclaimed. "What an unexpected surprise."

Superman looked at the Catwoman with a teasing expression. "Yes, I found out where you were staying, and I thought I'd pay the great Catwoman a visit. I hope you don't mind," he said.

"I don't," Selina rejoined, liking the banter they had started. "But I must admit, I'm at a loss as to why you're here."

"You mean you don't know about your own theft of a $50,000 emerald from the Metropolis Gemological Museum earlier?" the Man of Steel chided. "Just what kind of catnip _have_ you been ingesting to forget an attempted theft like that?"

Selina could not believe her ears! She knew the Man of Tomorrow wasn't as familiar with her as the Batman was, but she also knew that some of the information the Caped Crusader had on her preferences had to have been made known at some point. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "I didn't take anything, and if I had, it would certainly have been more pricey than that bauble!"

Before the superhero could comment, Selina told him with a hint of disgust, "I knew you didn't know me that well, but I didn't think you were _stupid!_" The Man of Steel was annoyed.

"Oh, really?" he asked, crossing his arms. He hovered over her, measuring her with his cold stare.

"Save that for someone who's easily intimidated by a cold stare," Selina told him.

"Ahh, yes, I had forgotten your involvement with the King of Cold Stares…the Batman," Superman jeered. Selina looked at him incredulously. Did he actually feel jealous of the Bat? Of course, if he did, that would be quite an interesting development! Probably she had imagined that, though.

The Big Blue Boy Scout landed across from her, asking, "This is getting us nowhere. Why do you think I'm stupid?"

Selina calmed down somewhat. She felt the tiniest bit of guilt at having overreacted. Deciding to change the subject, the Mistress of Cats queried, "Can I get you something? Tea? Soda? Water?"

"Never mind the pleasantries!" Superman cried, exasperated. "Tell me what I want to know! _Why_ am I an idiot?"

"Does one need a reason to be one?" the Catwoman gibed. She walked into her kitchen and, filling a teapot with water, set it to boil on the stove. When she returned, she saw that the alien was still angry.

"I won't ask again," he said, his voice in a low, almost feral whisper. Selina sat down on one of her easy chairs, regarding the man in front of her.

_God, he smells __**nice!**_She thought as she caught a whiff of his cologne. Aloud, she told him, "Because, as I pointed out seconds ago, I wouldn't steal just the _one_ gem! You think I didn't know about them? They're part of a collection of gems from Brazil that are on loan to the museum. I would make it worth my while if I were just coming to Metropolis to steal by taking all five of them! Could pocket an easy $750,000 that way!"

"I thought as much," Superman said quietly.

Selina gave him a long look, as if she were trying to discern what game he was playing. As the whistling sound of the teapot startled both of them, he told her he'd get it, and she pointed in the direction of her kitchen. Superman nodded, and went into the kitchen, turning off the stove. He grabbed tea bags from the cupboard, along with sugar, honey and some cream from her refrigerator and placed them on a small tray he saw on her kitchen table.

Arranging the items in front of her, he took a seat in the easy chair beside hers and started pouring the tea into a china cup. While he sat and extended his legs, Duchess tentatively came up to him, sniffing this new arrival. After a moment, the cat started purring, winding around them. Some other cats meandered to the Man of Steel having taken the other cat's cue. They sniffed him too, but some ran off, since his scent was different. Having been around cats on Ma's farm, the superhero paid them no mind. He took the cup and cream in his hands.

"How do you want it?" he asked.

"Cream and two sugars," Selina told him. He placed the items into the cup and stirred them. Then he held out the cup to her. After brewing the tea to his liking, and adding three sugars and liberal amounts of cream, she noted, they both took a sip.

"You said that you knew I didn't take the emerald?" Selena asked.

Superman nodded, finishing his tea and pre rinsing it in the sink. He put the cup in the dishwasher and sat back down in the chair.

As Selina watched him place the cup in the washer, she thought, _nice butt! And such a gentleman, too! _

"How did you know?" Selina pressed, curious.

The Kryptonian shrugged, saying, "Because the robbery was so full of errors you would never make." He went on to describe the things he had told Inspector Davis about the inconsistencies of the attempted theft.

The Catwoman smiled, showing some even white teeth inside her attractive lips to him. Superman found himself smiling back. Batman had been holding out on him, Kal-El decided. He had never told the Man of Tomorrow how gorgeous Selina was, especially this close. It was hard to concentrate on business, especially when he could feel his brain travelling in a Southern direction. He put his craving for her in the back of his mind and concentrated on why he was there.

"Assuming you're innocent, do you have any idea who'd want to frame you?" he asked. "I mean, there can't be too many women who look like you, or who have your…" _gorgeous green eyes, _his mind supplied. Superman harrumphed.

"My what?" Selina asked, amused as she saw the mighty Superman blushing slightly.

"…knowledge of museums and how to rob one properly," he finished sheepishly.

"Like I'd tell you," Selina said. "Listen, I'm glad that you think I didn't rob that place, but surely you must know I won't divulge all of my secrets to a complete stranger, particularly a superhero."

"You can tell me, or the police," Superman said calmly. "It's your choice."

Selina's eyes pinned him with a stare. "Oh?" she asked. "You'll look pretty stupid taking me in for a crime I didn't commit."

"Perhaps this woman who resembles you could be an accomplice…" Superman countered.

Selina crossed her arms, saying, "Oh, _puh-lease_! Give me a break! Listen Big Blue: I work alone, not with sidekicks. Batman could tell you."

"I'm sure he will when he gets back," the Man of Steel told her. "But for now, I'm all you've got."

Selina considered her options. She couldn't exactly ask the police to prove her innocence, and with Batman gone, Superman could very well have a point. On the other hand, if this was some sort of trap and someone impersonating her was out to get her, she couldn't afford to trust anyone, not even the Man of Steel himself.

"Sorry," she said simply. The alien stood up, looking at her with a mixture of disappointment and annoyance at her refusal to cooperate. Selina didn't get up, but she, too, was disappointed that the Man of Steel was leaving.

"Then I see no reason to continue this conversation," he said. He walked to the window he came in, much to the cats' disappointment. They had been camped around their favorite new subject and didn't look forward to their campsite being disturbed. Several meowed their displeasure. Superman took off, leaving Selina to ponder what she would do next, and more importantly, wondering why she wanted the Kryptonian superhero to stay.

When the Man of Steel was once again amongst the clouds, he thought about the raven haired Cat Mistress. She had been right; going to the police without more evidence would be a waste of time and effort. His mind was blank for a few moments until he came up with a brainstorm. Maybe Clark Kent could succeed where he'd failed. Perhaps she would open up to a shy, more withdrawn reporter, and if she was innocent, they could find out who was behind this. His mind made up, he went to his apartment. He would return later on to put his plan into operation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In a hotel room on the planet Alton Seven, Diana knocked on the door to Bruce's room. "Come in," Batman said.

He crossed over to the door to open it. Diana came inside, her eyes taking in the papers across the desk. They showed various photos and documents of the Prince, and Batman studied them intently.

"Princess," he greeted in his usual monotone, not looking up from his papers.

"John has turned in for the night," Diana reported, coming closer to the table.

The Caped Crusader said nothing, but compared one photo with another. Although his mask concealed his emotions well, the Amazonian warrior didn't have to see his face to know he was frustrated.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No," the Batman responded. He put the first two photos he had been scrutinizing down on the table and picked up a second pair. Diana stepped over to her lover with concern in her eyes. She knew that when Bruce didn't get much sleep, he tended to be cross, as any person would be. She also knew that whenever he was cross, he tended to miss things. Although she knew that it could be futile, the princess decided to try to get him to relax just a little until morning.

She came behind him and started massaging his shoulders. In front of her, the Batman stiffened. "I don't have time for this…" he said curtly.

"Just one moment," Wonder Woman said softly.

"In one moment, the Prince could be killed," the Dark Knight said.

"You always look at the bad side of things," Diana commented. "You need to believe that he is still alive. It has only been two days, after all."

"And, if we don't produce him in three more days, then billions will die who have not died before in interplanetary combat," Batman pronounced. "Do you want to be responsible for that?"

"Of _course_ not!" Diana cried emphatically. Her hands massaged his shoulders more. He started to relax somewhat as her circular kneading of his tired muscles intensified. The Princess of Themyscera tried again.

"But if you don't relax, at least a little, you might miss an important clue. You will be no use to His Majesty if you collapse due to exhaustion," she said. Bruce's hand flew up to touch hers. In a surprising move, he didn't remove it, but guided it to another sore and tired muscle in his lower back.

"Your powers of persuasion are quite adept, Princess," Batman said in a gravelly voice as she continued her ministrations. Before she knew what was going on, he spun her from behind so that her back was to the table and threw her on it. Pinning her arms by her sides, he captured her lips in a bold kiss.

Diana didn't fight him as she would have; she was so enamored of her brave warrior. She sighed into the kiss, pressing her large chest up to his Kevlar costume. Time stopped for a minute as they hungrily fought for dominance of each other's lips, their tongues doing a tete a tete as old as time itself.

"I could draw you a bath…" she said seductively when they both came up for air. When she felt the Batman start to withdraw again, she added, "and I could join you in it."

The Caped Crusader smirked and let her go. He started taking off his armor and walked over to the bathroom. Diana followed, a sly smile tugging her lips as she closed the door behind them.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX: STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: I decided to try my own variation of the Lucy Lane character, since she is so underutilized in the comics and everywhere else. I still don't own whoever created her or any other recognizable characters. **

Lucy Lane went downstairs and meticulously loaded her whites and her light colors into the only two washers that were available. She took out her cell phone, complete with the "Military Ambush" game that had been downloaded into it. Lucy rapidly defeated the computer's attempts to blow up her tank, her platoon and the army base; shot for shot, blow for blow. After she and the machine had almost completed their tete a tete, Selina Kyle, Lucy's neighbor, came into the room.

The younger sister in the Lane family kept her eyes seemingly riveted to the game, but out of the sides, studied Selina as she went over to check on the machines. Her dark haired neighbor was certainly built, Lucy had to give her that. She had two on her that made a man want to grab them, the blonde haired woman decided. When Selina reached up to the shelves over the machines to check a box of detergent that was always there courtesy of the landlady, her long, black tresses fell in soft waves over her curvy figure.

Lucy found herself comparing her slim, lithe figure to her neighbor's more endowed one. The younger woman had no butt, or at least, not one like her neighbor's. She also didn't have a chest that would be noticeable without, well, the Man of Steel's microscopic vision. Lucy's short, blonde hair was worn in a regulated military style and was growing out very slowly. Her hair was also showing some dark roots, making the top portion blonde, but the bottom portion brown. It was also straight and not wavy like Selina's.

The younger Lane found that her neighbor, like her older sister Lois, had a more sexy voice. Lucy's tended to be higher, whereas Lois's, and Selina's were a little throatier. It was times like this that Lucy wondered if J. William Thorpe, her husband, had divorced her not only because he was married to his career, but also because he had decided that he didn't want "Mrs. Tomboyish Looking" to be his wife. She wondered what her brilliant, news correspondent husband was doing while he was in London.

She also wondered if she would have another shot at dating and permanently securing a man any time in this millennium.

Lucy was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Selina's question.

"…machine?" Selina was asking. Lucy now regarded Selina's emerald green eyes with her sky blue ones.

"What?" Lucy questioned back in her higher voice. "Sorry, I was…comatose."

"No problem," Selina told her. "I was just asking if you planned to put anymore loads into this machine."

Lucy regarded the front load washer with her whites in it. "No," she replied. "After this one, I'm cool."

"Great," Selina said. "Then I'll just go and get my stuff." She grabbed the detergent, leaving Lucy alone once more.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Clark Kent knocked on Selina's apartment again and was about to leave when the object of his pursuit came up the stairs.

"Oh, sorry," he said when he saw her. "I wasn't sure if you were home or not."

Selina regarded the tall, thin looking man in the brown suit and tie for a moment. He looked like the typical nerd-who-doesn't-have-a-clue-about-a-life type. _Not_ that she was actually qualified to judge him, she told herself.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Selina asked, brushing past him and going into her apartment. Remembering the manners Ma Kent had taught him, Clark stood in the door, waiting for her to ask him in.

"I'm Cl—" he started, extending his hand. She didn't take it.

"Clark Kent of the Daily Planet," she finished, flopping down on the sofa. "I've visited your rag. It's cute." She made no moves to say anything more. Clark lowered his hand, his momentary flash of annoyance covering his face.

"You know," he said, "this would go so much easier if I were invited in."

"It would for you, I'm sure," Selina told him. Clark had banked down his annoyance but was showing it again.

"Is there any reason why you're this rude?" he asked.

Selina retrieved a kitty treat from a plate on the coffee table in front of her and gave it to a brown haired cat. As she stroked his fur, she told the reporter, "Let's just say I have an aversion to speaking with members of the press."

Clark fired his questions rapidly. "Could that have anything to do with the theft of the jewel from the Metropolis Gemological Museum? Could it also have to do with the escape from the holding tank you were in last night?" He queried.

Selina was outwardly calm, but his super hearing detected her rapidly beating heart. He knew he had pressed some buttons. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

The journalist heard the distant hum of the transmitter in the card he had planted, but it didn't seem to be coming from her apartment. That cemented what he had suspected last night: that there were two Catwomen, both alike in looks enough to confuse the police. Clark still wondered, however, if the other one really was working with Selina, or if she was just some kind of copycat who didn't know that her actions were getting the real Mistress of Cats into trouble. He had to know if Selina had been telling the truth about not having a partner, or if she was lying.

Clark fixed her with his penetrating, blue eyed stare. "Then I'd say you've got a doppelganger walking around somewhere," he responded, peering at her to see her reaction.

Selina went into the kitchen to refill the water bowl for her cats, then sat back down on her couch. She regarded Clark for a brief moment, and then selected a newspaper, "The Gotham Times", from her coffee table.

"Are you fishing, Mr. Kent?" she asked, casually flipping pages.

"Are you biting, Ms. Kyle?" he returned, waiting for her answer.

"I'm not doing anything but reading my paper," she said. She closed the paper just then and stretched out on the couch, giving the reporter an eyeful of her figure. Clark was oblivious to her charms.

"Perhaps we should start again," he said. "I'll play twenty questions with you, and I'd seriously suggest that you answer."

Selina sat back up and shrugged. "We'll see, Mr. Kent, we'll see," she responded smoothly. "You might as well come in."

Clark looked at her for a moment. He thought of a jibe, but pulled a hard chair he'd seen in her kitchen into the living room and sat in it. Whipping out his trusty pad and a pen, the reporter was ready to write.

"No BlackBerry?" Selina queried. Clark shook his head.

"They seem intrusive to me," he responded, smiling for the first time. Selina smiled back; she had always felt that way, too. He cleared his throat.

"Okay, if _you_ weren't in a holding cell at the 37th Precinct last night," he queried, "the obvious question would be: where were you?" Clark's expression gave nothing away, even though he knew exactly where she had been. He waited to see whether she would make something up, or do the right thing and tell the truth.

Selina surprised him by telling the truth. "I was here, entertaining a friend," she told him. He thought just then about the "tea party" they'd had. She did fix a mean cup of tea, just like Ma had made on many an occasion.

"And the friend's name?" Clark asked as he scribbled down her last answer.

Selina thought about the Man of Tomorrow and their verbal exchange. She could tell Clark everything, but if the reporter made it known that Superman was assisting her in any way, it could compromise his position as an upstanding hero.

She shrugged and said casually, "I'm not at liberty to say."

Clark guessed what she was thinking and mentally commented, _good girl. _He lowered his pad and pen and asked aloud, "What was he, anyway? Boyfriend? Husband?"

"I'm not married," she responded. "And he could have been a she, you know."

"Fair enough," he said. He took up his reporter's arsenal again. "So, you were entertaining." The usual mild mannered persona Clark used was taking a back seat. Just because Selina hadn't been involved in the robbery yesterday didn't mean that she wasn't planning something bigger, he had conjectured.

Selina's censuring look spoke volumes just then. Clark would not back down.

"Perhaps this partner you were with last night discussed the subject of gems with you recently?" he asked suggestively.

Selina grew incensed at that question. Clark felt instantly guilty; he didn't want to bait her, since she had been talking to him last night, but from everything the Batman had said about the Catwoman, the reporter knew she respected courage.

For a moment, the journalist thought he saw a flicker of hurt beneath the icy stare. Clark's guilt intensified, but he was reminded of the saying "_in for a penny; in for a pound."_

"I have suddenly been reminded why I don't like members of the press, Mr. Kent," Selina responded frostily, a mask of contempt on her face. "Now I want to play a game with you. It's called the, 'you leave this place right now, and don't come back, and I won't bodily throw you out' game." Her cats meowed as they sensed her distress.

"Two to one, the Metro Police will come here, and their inquiries won't be as polite," Clark responded, matter-of-factly.

"They won't come here," she said flatly. "They'll look for whoever was in the cell last night."

"But they think that she was _you_," he said. Selina remembered what Superman had said the night before about the inconsistencies which should not have pointed to her but did. Of course, the police were so inept in almost every town, and since her rap sheet was a mile long, why shouldn't they believe she had made off with the jewel? It was a wonder that they hadn't closed in on her already. She glanced at her cats and decided that maybe it was time to leave yet again. Selina could certainly move into one of her many hideouts until the heat was off. She could even go to her acquaintance, Oswald Cobblepot, who specialized in relocating criminals.

No, she decided just then, best not to invite more trouble. She wouldn't involve the former Penguin in her machinations. Besides, she was great at hiding on her own; it was what she had done most of her life. She started to look at her feline partners but realized Clark was waiting.

"Look, Mr. Kent," she said. "I don't know who is trying to set me up, if in fact that is what this is, and I don't have anyone working with me. I _do _know that even if I answered all of your questions, they'd nail me to the wall regardless of what you publish. So, maybe it would be best if you left now, at least until I figure this out."

Clark considered what she had just said. The Catwoman was right; even if she were innocent, the police would find their wrong smoking gun and either extridite her to Gotham, or lock her up for 10,000 years and throw away the key. He needed to go to the Watchtower. Maybe Wally had come up with where that substance Clark had smelled earlier had come from. The reporter scribbled his telephone number on a pad, not risking giving Selina a bugged card since her cats' hearing might pick up the frequency.

"Call me," he entreated. "Maybe I can help." Selina took the paper from him. The sometimes shy journalist stood up and left.

As he walked away, thinking about the Justice League, Lucy came up the side stairs and looked in Clark's direction. She caught a glimpse of his "Daily Planet" press card and wondered if that was her sister's coworker, Clark Kent. Lucy hadn't seen Clark in a long time. There had been something about his shy and retiring demeanor the one time Lois had introduced them that she had found refreshing. She wondered what he had been doing here, and she also wondered if she might get to meet the mild mannered reporter with the wonderful butt again under different circumstances. Lucy whistled a happy tune, letting a brief fantasy concerning nerdy men cross her mind. Her horoscope had been correct, she discovered: she _would_ have an exciting life in a big city.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN: STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: Sorry for a shorter chapter. Next one will be longer.**

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Superman teleported back to the Watchtower the next day and entered the sophisticated laboratory on the shuttle. The Flash was bent over several slides, his mask off, revealing his red hair. His face was serious for once, his brows drawn together in deep concentration. The Kryptonian touched his friend on the shoulder. The Flash jumped, whirling on the Man of Steel.

"Don't _do _that, Supes! You almost gave me a heart attack!" he shouted.

"Sorry," Superman apologized. He studied one of the slides, asking, "find anything?"

"Yeah," the Flash reported. "It took most of the night, but what we're looking at is a new chemical compound they were working on at Star Labs. Professor Hamilton is one of only a handful of scientists who have access to it."

Superman paced the lab, his fingers resting on his lips as he considered. "So, our thief might be working for them, is that it?" he mused.

The Flash said, "Maybe. She could just be a world class bandit we've never come across before."

"Could be," Superman agreed. "What about the chemical? I remembered smelling this substance before when I visited Professor Hamilton. Was it something called 'phaze'?"

The Scarlet Speedster nodded, saying, "When you're right, you're right. It's a substance called 'phaze', one of the most revolutionary chemicals ever created in a lab."

"I do not understand: what exactly is that?" J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter, asked as he came up beside the Flash.

The red costume clad superhero switched into chemist mode as he explained, "It was designed to be used for medical and military purposes. Army Doctors and Soldiers could inject the substance and pass through many different types of solid matter, including glass, wood, and brick. The scientists haven't licked the ability to phase through metal yet, however. Metals like steel and iron tend to have a more complex molecular structure. In any case, phaze was to be used primarily so that a soldier could pass through an enemy's defenses without detection."

"How is that possible?" Kal El wanted to know.

"The person who injects the substance becomes pliant and able to take on the characteristics of the barrier he or she is trying to break through. The body part of the subject, _becomes_ the glass or the piece of wood once he or she touches it, and therefore is able to pass through it. During that time, anything handled by the subject also takes on the characteristics of the surface; then, once the objective has been achieved, both the person and the object become exactly as they were initially."

"The person uses concentrated brain waves in order to activate the chemical once it reaches the bloodstream?" J'onn J'onzz inquired.

The Flash nodded, saying, "Yes. It works on thought energies, but the telepathic commands must be focused. Any distractions in the mind can cause the chemical to be ineffective."

"And, while they are using it, the person is able to disable electrical systems, like alarms?" Superman asked.

"You got it, Supes," the Flash told him. "I'm just wondering, though: how did Catwoman stumble onto this?"

The Big Blue Boy Scout crossed his arms, saying, "I'm afraid there is only one person who can answer that." He regarded his co-workers and friends, commenting, "For what it's worth, I think she may be innocent of having stolen that chemical."

"Innocent!?" the Flash yelled. "What makes you think that?"

Superman thought a moment before responding, "I don't know. Just a feeling, I suppose."

The Martian Manhunter advised, "Do not let personal feelings interfere with apprehending this woman. She is more than likely guilty of the crime."

"I agree," the Flash said, putting in his two cents. "She may be a looker, but don't go confusing that with what she did. We gotta bring her down before she uses phaze for something worse."

"_We _won't do anything," the Man of Steel said determinedly. "_I'll _handle this, and, just for the record, it isn't personal feelings for her that is making me defend her. It's the fact that the break-in at the museum had so many errors that it just doesn't add up in my mind."

Superman went to the teleportation pad and, before he dematerialized, said, "I'll let you know what I find out."

After the Man of Steel disappeared, the Flash said, "Boy! Sure hope Supes isn't getting in over his head."

The green skinned superhero beside him frowned, saying, "I believe that is exactly what will happen."

Both heroes thought about what the Kryptonian was getting into and both worried.

XXXXXXXXX

Wonder Woman stared at the stars from her hotel room in the castle she and Bruce were in. The Caped Crusader had gone back to the case at hand, the bath they had shared forgotten all most as soon as it had begun. Princess Diana of Themyscera thought about her midnight warrior and wondered just as she had when their relationship had begun about the level of his commitment to her. Oh, he enjoyed bathing with her and when pressed, he sometimes invited her to Wayne Manor for dinner or dancing, but he still held an important part of himself back from her.

She knew that being emotional and touchy-feely was _not _his strong suit, and she also knew that, like most women, she had the foolish hope that if she gave him all the love and encouragement she had to give that he would change. But as her mother Hippolyta had told her, "Gaul wasn't built in a day. Neither are men's affections nor their attractions for a woman."

A knock was heard at her door. Wonder Woman opened it to admit John Stewart, the African American Green Lantern.

"Hey," he greeted. Upon seeing the Princess's pensive mood, the emerald clad superhero asked, "something wrong?"

Diana shook her head, asking, "What are you doing here?"

GL said, "Just bored, I suppose. What are we doing here? We usually come to help people when the goin' gets tough, and they need a little muscle."

Wonder Woman chided, "You know that's not always true. Besides, the technology of Alton Seven has helped us many times before in our struggles for world peace on Earth, and so we are cleaning the slate, I believe the saying is?"

Green Lantern shrugged, saying, "Yeah, that's true, but I'm not a diplomat, or a person that likes sitting around. I wish something would happen; something that we could throw our might into!"

Diana turned back to the window and commented, "I think Bruce feels just as you do. He was frustrated about not finding any clues behind the disappearance of Prince Marton Kishna, I could tell."

When she felt John's hand on her shoulder, Wonder Woman turned back around. "You seem…down, I guess," he said. "Does it have to do with Batman?"

"Is it that obvious?" she asked. John nodded.

"Sure is," he confirmed. "If you want a nickel's worth of advice…"

Diana went to her couch studded with moonbeams against a midnight blue background and said, "I'd even take it free."

"Okay," GL told her, "if I were you, I wouldn't try to figure out the Batman. I've known him longer than you have, and he's a man who is totally closed off. You try breaking the ice around his heart; you'll find that the more you chip away, the bigger glaciers you'll get."

Diana turned slightly annoyed, slightly hurt eyes on her friend and colleague. Deep down, she knew that John was right, but the Warrior Princess in her was just not willing to accept his words without trying to fight for whatever she and Bruce shared.

"So you're saying that I should end things with him and just cut him off?" she almost snapped.

"I'm saying that if you want to have any kind of relationship with him, know what you're getting into. Know that it's gonna be intense and full steam ahead, or it's gonna be over. There is no in between, which is what I think you really want," he responded.

"And you should know, having been with Shayera," Diana said about another of their colleagues, the Hawkgirl.

She felt instantly guilty for criticizing John about the alien woman, especially since although on some level the Princess was right, her jibe came from jealousy over the happy relationship John and Shayera had now and not from any well-intended advice.

John hid his hurt behind the stoic face which, after years of military training, gave him an anchor to use in many an emotional storm. "Look," he said, going to the door, "I'm just tryin' to be a friend here. But if you don't want any advice, just say so. If you want freezer burn dealing with the Batman, be my guest. But I really think you're not ready for that."

Before John closed the door behind him, Diana said softly, "John?"

GL turned back. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Thanks," she said sincerely. "I know that you are only trying to help by putting whatever Bruce and I have into the proper perspective."

The ebony colored Lantern smiled and left Diana to her own thoughts. She went to the window and looked upward into the heavens again.

_Bruce probably knows exactly where we're headed in our relationship, _she mentally told herself. _I wish I did._

Wonder Woman removed her bracelets and her uniform and got herself ready for bed.

XXXXXXXXXX

In his room, Bruce was still looking at the photos and scant clues spread out on the table. Diana's beautiful face intruded in his thoughts. He rose from the table and forced himself to the business at hand, but try though he might, he couldn't stop thinking about where their lives were headed.

As he tried yet again to focus on the dossiers of the royal family and friends of the Prince, another woman's face touched his mind. Selena Kyle's green eyes and lower, intensely sexy voice encroached upon his thoughts. Bruce wondered what she was doing thousands of miles away on Earth. He also wondered if she missed him.

_Stop thinking about them! _The Dark Knight commanded himself.

Realizing he wouldn't get any peace just being in the empty room he occupied, the Batman let his grappling hook fly. As it fired out the massive window and its claw grabbed a gargoyle statue on the side of a nearby building, he swung out into the night in the direction of the royal palace.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The cell doors opened at Metropolis's Thirty Seventh precinct and the prisoner who had only been there for a very short time exited. She didn't know why she couldn't have used the chemical she had gone through so much time and trouble to acquire, but her Albanian cohort told her to use it sparingly.

_No matter, _she told herself. _Once they get a search warrant, the police will locate the clues planted in __**her**__ apartment, and then, I shall have my revenge._

The woman went into the bathroom and changed into some regular clothes. She then headed for a non descript car outside of the police station and went to her friend's apartment, laughing and smiling all the way.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT: STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: Sorry I took so long to update. My muse had left for awhile, but at least for this chapter, I am back! Just to let you know: I chose Mary Stuart Masterson ("Some Kind of Wonderful"; "Fried Green Tomatoes") as the blueprint for the role of Lucy Lane because I can!**

**This chapter is more about the romantic aspects of the story, but fear not: action will hopefully show up soon! Please read and review.**

In his palatial office, the multi-billionaire Lex Luthor sat in his black leather chair. He thought about his competitors: people who made more money than he. It was a long standing war between Sri Lanke and his wife, Camera of India and Lao Tsang Tse, the industrialist from China. Luthor pictured them roasting on his own personal spit as he collected their wealth and moved from the third richest man on the globe to numero uno.

A buzzer was heard at the door. "Come in," Luthor said gruffly. One of his aides arrived, his hands sweating; his face a mask of death. But then, Charles Lyndon was always sweating, and he always looked like he expected his employer to kill him on the spot.

_Good, _Lex thought, _fear is always healthy._

"What is it, Lyndon?" Luthor asked, not really giving the insignificant scientist any consideration.

Lyndon ran his hand through his blond curls before replying. He took a deep breath and responded, "Mr. Luthor, the tests on the Phaze Project have arrived, and they are disturbing, to say the least."

Luthor gave Lyndon a tired look and said, "And, what do they reveal?"

Lyndon swallowed. "In all of the subjects tested, there was a strong indication of addiction to the drug if used over a prolonged period of time," he reported. Luthor looked bored, but fixed him with a cold stare.

"And?" he prompted.

"Not only that, but if the participant is exposed to the substance over the long haul, the subject takes on the characteristic of the object he or she phazed through permanently. In short, if a subject passed through a brick wall enough times, he or she will _become _a human brick wall, as it were. If they phazed through multiple things, they will take on the characteristics of those objects, and they may not be able to control their power," Lyndon said, his voice growing louder with his alarm.

Luthor stroked the bust of himself on the side of his desk. "Well, then, you and the scientists must make sure there are no glitches when this is unveiled at the party in a few days," the multi billionaire said coldly.

Lyndon was aghast. "A f-few _days_?! But we couldn't possibly..." he stammered, adding, "there isn't enough time. Tests have to be run; evidence has to be collected. That could take weeks, maybe months of additional study."

"I'm sure you can find a cure for all of these...maladies given the proper encouragement," Luthor said, "say...two million dollars? And, a hundred thousand dollars for each day you save in coming up with the solutions that much sooner?"

Lyndon considered his options. There could be a lawsuit if the soldiers tested pressed the issue. On the other hand, though, even if they developed strange abilities, maybe Luthor would make a deal with them to be in charge of this unique happenstance. And, the scientist thought, there was always the money to continue his research and possibly find a cure for those who would suffer. With that kind of financing, which was a mere drop in a very huge bucket for Mr. Luthor, the scientist could live comfortably and see that his family was well taken care of. Without it, he could just kiss his whole life goodbye.

There was also the fact that he had yet to tell Luthor about the theft of the batch at Star Labs that had gone missing a few days ago. They would also suffer the consequences associated with addiction or permanent absorption. But then, such problems could be explained away so that no blame would fall on him.

The chief scientist's eyes strayed to where Luthor's personal bodyguard, Mercy Graves, was hanging in the background. She gave him a look that told him that if he didn't do things Luthor's way, she could always arrange it so that Lyndon would never be alive to do anything else.

"I'll handle this, Mr. Luthor," Lyndon said confidently, ignoring the mental image of being shoved into Metropolis Lake with cement shoes provided by Mercy.

"Good man," Luthor praised. "I like to see initiative."

He rose from his desk and saw Mercy holding the door open for Lyndon as the bald headed multi-billionaire went over to look out the window at Metropolis.

When Lyndon had gone out into the hall, Mercy hovered in the background, secure in her knowledge that Luthor had additional instructions for her.

Not bothering to turn from the window, Luthor said coldly, "Make certain that Mr. Lyndon doesn't make any mistakes or reveal any…developments. I would hate for him to have an attack of conscience all of a sudden."

Mercy said, "Sure thing, boss."

She left the office, walking behind Lyndon as he walked to his car to go home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clark knocked on the door to Perry White's office at the _Daily Planet. _Perry was munching on an apple and drinking some purified water. He looked over the day's headlines and grimaced as he sipped on some more of his beverage.

"Come in!" the Editor-in-Chief barked. Clark came in, slouching as usual, his meekness firmly in place.

"Jimmy said you wanted to see me?" Clark asked timidly.

Perry threw out the empty water bottle with disgust. "You know, Kent, why I have a problem with drinking water?" he asked Clark.

"N-no, Chief," the black haired reported responded.

"Because it's so..._wet!" _Perry finished.

"But, it's healthy," Clark said meekly. Perry stared at his senior male reporter, his steely eyes measuring Kent up and down. He had never noticed it before, given the big shirts Clark wore and the way he slouched, but the older man's wife, Alice, had been right. Clark seemed to have some muscles—which was saying something, since Clark ate more junk food than anyone Perry knew.

Alice had noticed Clark's physique the one time he had dined at their home. Guess Perry owed his wife for her observation big time, the Senior Editor realized. He was a little ticked that Kent seemed to be able to eat the foods the Editor-in-Chief craved but couldn't have because of blood pressure issues and other things. Perry decided to tell Clark the reason for his summons.

"Kent, do you have any plans Thursday evening?" he asked. Before Clark could respond, Perry went on. "Do you also have a date?" he queried.

"Wh-what?" Clark stammered. "I...no, I don't really date." Perry wasn't surprised by that revelation. It was a wonder Kent had gotten as far as he had in his career as a reporter.

"Well, _find_ one," Perry ordered, adding, "hell, Kent, inflate one if you have to!" His thoughts flew to Clark's partner and sometime rival in the world of journalism.

" When's Lois due back, anyway?" The Editor-in-Chief wondered aloud.

"Chief!" Clark shouted, looking affronted that Perry should suggest his now-married partner should go to whatever the event was with him.

Both men waited for a beat to subside before Clark asked, "What's this all about?"

Perry tossed a white envelope to him. The ace reporter opened it and read the contents. He lowered the envelope and said, "Luthor's hosting a party and you want the exclusive, and this is my ticket in?"

When his employer nodded, Clark inwardly groaned. He really wasn't up to going to a party, especially one his enemy was hosting. Of course, Perry wouldn't understand that. A story was a story, after all. The other problem was, Lois wasn't due back for at least another week and a half from her honeymoon with Richard. How would Clark get a date?

He considered for a moment, then smiled shyly as he thought about a raven haired temptress who just might help him.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucy Lane finished her pushups for the day and was getting ready to do some aerobic twists and turns to some rock music when her land line phone rang.

"Yeah?" she asked breathlessly. Lucy was surprised to hear Jimmy Olson's voice on the other end of the line.

"Jim! What's up?" she greeted, reaching for a nearby towel to wipe off the sweat running down her face.

"I was wondering if you were going anywhere on Thursday?" Jimmy's tenor asked over the line.

"Thursday's the sixteenth, right?" Lucy inquired. When she heard Jimmy's affirmative reply, the blonde's eyes strayed to her calendar.

"No I don't have anything planned," she told Jimmy. "Is this a top hat and tails party or can I come as I am?" She heard Jimmy's response and nodded.

"I'm sure I can rent a dress," Lucy assured the photographer. "I'll think of something. What time will you pick me up?" She heard him say "seven" and promised that she would be ready. When Jimmy said "bye", Lucy hung up with a sly smile on her oval face.

The younger Lane sister had dated Jimmy before, and they'd had an on again, off again relationship for years. When Jim Thorpe showed Lucy true, and mature, love, she had jumped at the chance for it. Jimmy took her marriage to James just as he took everything about their relationship: with a grain of salt. It hadn't bothered Jimmy because he wasn't really in love with Lucy. They were close friends, but that was as far as things had progressed. So it was that whenever Jimmy didn't have a date and vice versa, Lucy was a convenient substitute.

For her part, Lucy wasn't angry. She felt the same way about Jimmy, and she also knew that everyone who was anyone would attend Lex Luthor's shindig. She was prepared to take things as they came, and if a single, gorgeous man who might be there happened to be lonely and wanted to dance, she was more than ready to let that happen.

She rifled through her closet and threw several dresses on her bed before finding the right one.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina threw on her satin bathrobe with the same colors as her usual costume when her doorbell rang. She tugged on some lavender slippers, clearly not pleased that her time in her Jacuzzi had been disturbed.

"Who is it?" she asked upon reaching her door.

"Clark," came the muffled reply.

"Who?" she repeated.

"Clark!" the ace reporter said, his voice louder and clearer. The Catwoman opened her door to the meek and mild mannered man.

"Mr. Kent, you must be a glutton for punishment," she teased.

Clark came inside before Selina could decline. He noticed her attire and forced himself not to look at the tempting figure beneath the robe with his x-ray vision.

"I realize this is short notice, but in exchange for my helping you locate your doppelganger, I was hoping you'd do something for me," the journalist suggested.

"Well…" Selina said thoughtfully, wondering why Kent had come to see her.

In the end, curiosity won out as she asked, "What is it you want me to do?"

Clark held up his invitation to Luthor's party. "Be my date," he responded.

"Your _date?" _Selina repeated, totally incredulous. Her cats, who were aware of their mistress' feelings, meowed with panache.

"See, here's the thing…" Clark began his sales pitch, "the woman who stole the gem was using a chemical which enabled her to reach through the glass to take said item."

"And…Lex Luthor is unveiling the substance tonight, so the thief will most likely be there?" Selina guessed.

"Yes," Clark said. "I thought we could find out more about her, that is, if you don't have any other plans."

Selina considered the man standing in front of her. He didn't look too bad, so she wouldn't be a laughingstock hanging on Clark's arm. And, if what the reporter said was true, she could find out who her double was, and why she went through so much trouble to frame her. Besides, Selina realized, she missed the glitter and the glamour that being Bruce's girlfriend had provided. It was time she went among the rich and famous, if only to see who she might steal from later that evening.

Clark guessed what she was thinking, and said, "Don't even think about compiling a list of people to steal from. I'm way ahead of you. I've already told Superman all about it, and he'll be close by."

Selina had to give the man brownie points for being two steps ahead of her. _Best behavior? _She thought. _I can do that, at least until I find out how to outwit Superman._

She studied the invitation once more. "Thursday night, hmm?" Selina queried. "What a perfectly lovely time to go to a party."

Clark told her, "I'll pick you up at eight." He walked to the door, saying as he left, "Behave."

After Selina closed the door, she thought about the shy man she was going to be with, and the equally bold superhero who would be watching.

"Life doesn't get much better than that," she told her cats. "Two gorgeous men for the price of one!"

Her mind raced with excitement as she sank down in her tub once more. When she dozed off, she imagined a strong set of arms circling her, and a pair of deep, royal blue eyes caressing every part of her body. Her heart beat wildly as she pictured him lowering his mouth to hers and capturing her lips with a kiss that was passionate and possessive.

"I want you, Selina," the man whispered fervently. He kissed her once more, cementing his attraction to her.

His cape fluttered in the wind. As she beheld its dark hue, Selina's eyes snapped open suddenly when she realized that the man she had been just dreaming about was neither the Man of Steel nor a shy reporter with a superhero outfit, but a billionaire in his bat costume who had broken her heart recently.

"Bruce…" she said softly as she sank down into her bath.

XXXXXXXXXX

On Alton Seven, wrapped in the arms of the Princess Diana after the night's activities, Batman pictured the Catwoman stroking him and whispering words of love and devotion.

_Selina…_he thought as he settled into a troubled sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE: STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: It's still anyone's guess who will end up with whom in this story! **

Clark and Selina arrived at Luthor's party in record time. The reporter kept his eyes peeled for any strange goings on as the bald billionaire and the blonde bimbo attached to his tuxedoed arm posed for the array of cameras, including Jimmy's.

Hanging on the photographer's arm, Lucy Lane saw several good looking men that she decided she'd want to get to know. Of course, Jimmy was also delectable, too, and she didn't want to appear too eager to begin a new relationship with someone else. Lucy locked eyes with one man who seemed unattached until his partner showed up. Next, she saw a man who was very much her senior, but looked distinguished in his tux.

_A girl could do much worse, _she decided. _After all, age is just a number, isn't it?_

Excusing herself from Jimmy, Lucy made her way toward the silver haired gentleman, her steps purposeful; her look determined. She was so one man minded that she bumped into Clark.

"Ooph!" he said. Lucy's blue eyes were instantly apologetic.

"Excuse me..." she started apologizing. Then, the younger Lane sister got a good look at the male she'd bumped into.

"Clark...?" she asked. Clark's gaze was full of friendship, warmth, and a hint of attraction as he stared at her.

Lucy had certainly grown up during the five years she'd spent in England with her husband, James. He had heard about her divorce, but she seemed to be taking it quite well. Her powder blue, silk dress with its high mandarin collar suited her to perfection. It hugged her small butt and then fanned out behind her, leaving the rest of her body to the imagination. The usually tomboyish Lane had also taken the time to apply makeup to her usually bare face. The lip gloss accentuated her bow shaped mouth; the matching pale blue eye shadow added just the right touch.

"Hey, Lucy," he greeted.

When Selina tugged on his arm slightly, Clark looked at her sheepishly, particularly since she had taken pains with her emerald green dress with its bare shouldered décolletage and tight, figure hugging silhouette.

"Oh, this is..." Clark dutifully began his introductions.

"Selina Kyle," Lucy said, shaking her emerald gloved arm. "I know her well."

Clark was surprised to hear that. Selina and Lucy looked as different as night and day. The two women didn't look like the types that would ever connect on any level, except maybe the basest of acquaintances.

His puzzled gaze must have shown, because Clark asked, "Oh? How do you both know each other?"

"We're neighbors," Selina supplied. Her date acknowledged that bit of information, mouthing a soft "oh".

"So, are you here by your lonesome?" the Catwoman asked. Lucy shook her head.

"No, I'm here with Jimmy," she responded. The red headed cub reporter came up and put his hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Hey, Mr. Kent!" Jimmy greeted. Clark smiled.

"Jimmy," he said. "I figured Perry would finagle you into coming here, too."

Jimmy held up his Nikkon 600 digital camera. "Yep!" he told Clark. "And, I got some great pics of Mr. Luthor and his date."

He saw another red headed man, about seven years his senior, arriving without a female on his arm. The man was taller and had a heart shaped face in comparison to Olson's rounder one. He was making his way closer to Clark and the others.

"Looks like someone wants to talk to you," Jimmy pronounced. Clark looked where the younger man had been watching and saw Wally West approaching him.

"Uh, Jim, isn't Luthor preparing to speak about his new invention?" Kent prompted.

"Oh!" Jimmy exclaimed. "Right!" He tugged on Lucy's arm and together, they strolled off so that he could get a better vantage point for taking pictures.

When Jimmy left, Clark and Selina danced closer to where Lex was standing in the center of the room.

"Do you think that Luthor knows about the missing Phaze?" Selina whispered to Clark.

"I think there's very little he doesn't know," Clark whispered back, "and, if he doesn't, he'll find out soon."

Luthor's date departed to go into the women's bathroom. When she was alone, she opened her purse and withdrew her cell phone. In the giant exposition hall, Lex answered his cell phone.

"You'll pardon me for a moment?" he asked the photographers, not waiting for an answer as he withdrew to a more private space.

"Lex," the blonde said, sounding smarter than her bimbo-ish voice, "I've got to tell you something. Apparently, there has been a theft of the substance you're presenting." When she finished her report, Luthor frowned, inwardly seething.

"My dear," Luthor said to the blonde, "it seems that Lyndon failed to inform me someone has stolen something of mine. Please pay him a visit, and tell him how very disappointed in him I am."

"Right away, Lex," she said, hanging up the phone.

Clark's super hearing picked up Luthor's conversation. How could the reporter have been so _stupid, _talking to Selena where Luthor's date could hear?He had thought his greatest enemy already knew about the theft; he had planned everything so well. Maybe Clark was lulled into a false sense of security because of the bimbo.

Eventually, he would have changed into Superman later to follow the trail of the Phaze, which would also lead him to see if Luthor gave himself away. That way, the billionaire-criminal would pay for any misdeeds, which Clark was sure Luthor was behind of.

"Uh, Selina, I have to go to check in with Perry," Clark offered lamely.

He headed for the balcony, hoping that no one was there so that he could change behind the curtained place into Superman. Meanwhile, not particularly interested in Luthor and his presentation, Selina said, "Okay," to Clark. The Catwoman was much more interested in finding out where her double might be.

Wally, having caught where Clark was headed and guessing the rest, followed closely behind. He walked right past Lucy, but just as her brows pursed with curiosity, Jimmy tugged on her arm. He whispered in her ear, and they went off as Jimmy picked the perfect spot in which he could take spectacular pictures.

After scanning the room for a few minutes, Selina's emerald orbs located a woman who looked like she had been cloned from the original Catwoman.

The duplicate was the same height and build, and she wore a dress that was a deep purple trimmed with green. Hanging toward the back of the crowd, she quietly observed Luthor and the other guests, looking for any opportunities which lie ahead. Suddenly, their eyes met.

Selina studied her adversary, just as the woman looked at her.

_You will go down in flames! _The woman's accusatory glance seemed to say.

_Not before __**you **__do! _Selina's look indicated, her eyes issuing a challenge. The woman headed for the same ladies' room where the blonde had been. The Catwoman followed her discreetly, not wanting to lose her prey.

Outside, having gone to the terrace, Clark checked to see that no one was out there. Thankfully, everyone was focused on Lex and his speech about Phaze. Making sure the curtains inside hid him from view, the reporter transformed himself into the Kryptonian superhero.

Before he could scan the city for the blonde, Wally came outside, and he also changed into the Flash. When Superman saw his fellow comrade, his brows drew together as he frowned.

"What _is _it?" he snapped. "I've got to find a possible assassin."

Wally told the alien, "Look, normally I wouldn't disturb an event like this to—" The Flash stopped as he realized what he was about to confess.

"—actually…who am I kidding?" The Flash said. "I mean, free booze, luscious women…who wouldn't want to be at an event like this?"

"Flash!" Superman cried impatiently. He scanned the city streets and picked up the blonde's trail as she scampered off to her motorcycle.

"Sorry, Supes," The Flash apologized. "But I thought you should know that I found out some additional information about the Phaze."

"Like who stole it?" he asked.

"Not quite yet, but J'onn is getting a handle on it," the Scarlet Speedster reported. He drew himself up like he was at a lecture and stared at the Man of Tomorrow.

"Seems that this chemical has one major drawback. It's highly addictive to anyone who uses it too much," he said.

Superman snapped his fingers, saying, "Like our thief!"

"Yep!" The Flash agreed. "Not only that, but some tests by the Atom indicated that when the substance breaks down in the bloodstream it can have a binding effect on the molecular structure when injected too many times so that the user and the materials used in the fazing process are bound to each other."

"You mean…?" Superman started guessing.

"I'm trying to see if maybe there's an antidote to this, but yeah, the victim takes on the attributes of whatever materials he or she phased through the most," the Fastest Man on Earth said sadly.

"So _that's _why the blonde snuck off: to kill someone called Lyndon," Superman said. "He probably knows too much, and Luthor in typical fashion wants to keep him quiet so that he can make a profit from this."

"He's certainly a Prince, isn't he?" The Flash murmured with disgust. "Who _cares _if the test subjects have to suffer, so long as he lines his wallet with a couple more billions, right?"

It took a few moments before the Flash realized he was by himself.

He shook his head before changing back into Wally. Before he let himself in, he said, "Guy's almost as bad as Bats with his disappearing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina walked inside the bathroom, looking for the woman. She kept her eyes peeled and checked the stalls, but other than a plump, older matronly guest, the Mistress of Cats saw nothing.

"All right!" she said when she was alone. "I _know _you're in here! Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Selina looked up at the ceiling to see if the doppelganger was there, but she saw nothing in the painted pink walls to indicate that. Then, the Catwoman scanned the floor to see if maybe the woman would phase through it. Still, there was nothing. Thinking that she might have phased back outside, Selina opened the door and did a quick check of the hallway. Before she closed the door again, the Catwoman failed to see the glass in the mirror stretching forth, the head and shoulders of a woman seemingly buried beneath its surface.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Superman flew directly behind where the blonde headed on her cycle. He found that she was about to go into an apartment building marked _Metro Plaza._

She withdrew a taser gun from her jacket pocket and was about to check its charge when he grabbed her from behind.

"Aww," the Man of Steel chided, "I know men can be unreliable, but do you really have to resort to such measures to get them to date you?"

The woman cursed and struggled in his grip; then, surprisingly, she managed to break free. She fired the taser at the blue and red clad superhero, but the metallic charge bounced off.

"Your type never learns, does it?" Superman snidely asked. The blonde reached inside another pocket and withdrew some grey, metallic balls which were the size of golf balls.

Before the Man of Steel could make another move, he was enveloped in tear gas. The woman escaped, running inside of the building and up the stairs. Superman used his super breath to draw in the gas despite his tear filled eyes. When he could see clearly a moment later, he saw that she had fled. Training his ears on the building, he heard her running up the stairs.

With super speed, the Man of Steel took off after her.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Selina drew her head back inside, but before she could completely turn, the glass female kicked her out of the bathroom before turning back into her double. The first Catwoman groaned, but pulled herself up and headed back into the room.

The doppelganger concentrated, but she wasn't able to change herself into glass again. Her foot swung out from her A line dress to kick the original Mistress of Cats across the midsection.

Selina grabbed her heeled foot and jerked so that the woman's shoe was caught in the wall. Jerking her heel out of it and out of her boots, Selina's foe spun back around as she regained a foothold on the floor. The Catwoman's gloved hands grew some metallic claws. She scratched and landed a mark about the length of a dime on the woman's cheek.

"You had better tell me what your game is, or I'll…" Selina started threatening.

The woman punched Selina, knocking her to the ground. The second Catwoman concentrated once more and phased through one of the pink bathroom stall doors as Selina got up. Her green eyes scanned the room again for her double, but she couldn't see her.

Selina went systematically to each stall, kicking the doors open, even as the woman phased through them in the opposite direction, heading for the glass mirrors.

"Give it up!" the original Catwoman commanded. "You know I'll find you!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Superman caught up to the blonde assassin before she managed to let herself into room 513. He grabbed her, kicking and screaming, as he looked for some metal to bend around her wrists. The superhero scowled a little when he saw the wooden staircase.

_Wonderful! _He thought wryly. The blonde was cursing a mean streak, making Superman wonder if he should just knock her out.

The door opened to reveal Lyndon, who was curious about the noise, and who had apparently been roughed up a little, though not fatally. The scientist took one look at the struggling duo and promptly slammed the door shut. Superman's super hearing could pick up noises of Lyndon's struggling to place a barricade against the entrance to his apartment. He could also hear the scientist calling the police on his phone.

The blonde gave a judo throw to Superman while his mind was elsewhere. She managed to fling him off of her and over the railing. Extracting a lock pick from her pocket, she tried to let herself into Lyndon's dwelling to finish what she had started, but she was knocked into the side wall by Superman.

"I would suggest you come quietly," he told her, his tone brooking no opposition.

The blonde jerked an object out of her left dress pocket. Superman saw that it looked like a compact. Before he could retort, she opened it and blew its contents into his face.

Coughing, the Man of Steel reached out a hand and slammed her into the wall hard enough to make her lose consciousness.

A security guard ran upstairs, his eyes taking in the tableau of Superman and the woman.

"What happened?" he asked.

Superman pointed to the woman on the floor, saying, "Restrain her until the police arrive." The guard whipped out some handcuffs and secured her wrists.

Relieved that Lyndon was safe, Superman flew back to Luthor's party.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina's enemy made it to the glass mirrors and bonded perfectly with them once more. She didn't know why she couldn't control her power earlier enough to merge with the glass before, but as she melded into it now, she felt the most delicious sensation.

_Now you will __**die **__for what you've done! _The duplicate Catwoman promised, her eyes a mask of death.

The original Catwoman heard a shattering noise and barely had time to distance herself from the glass chips that flew from the mirrors.

"Not enough room!" Selina cried as she flew down to the floor. Hopefully, she conjectured, the first Cats' Mistress might be cut a little from falling glass, but she wouldn't be hurt too badly.

Suddenly, Selina heard a whooshing sound as the Man of Steel crashed into the bathroom. The glass bounced harmlessly off of him. He picked up the first Catwoman, ignoring the hot flash going through him.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Selina nodded, pleased that she was unhurt. Both hero and cat burglar looked around to see any sign of the assailant, but a quick scan indicated she had phased out and into another room.

Female security guards burst into the bathroom, the noises coming from within having attracted attention. Just outside was Lex, who was clearly not happy that his speech had been disturbed.

"What are _you _doing here?" he asked Superman. The Man of Steel opened the door for Selina, who stepped out into the hallway.

"Trying to stop a thief," he responded.

"Next time, just call a cop!" Luther snapped, his eyes quickly surveying the scene. He withdrew a walky-talky out of his pocket and barked orders into it to clean up the mess.

The security guards waited for Luthor's command.

"Leave now!" he instructed them. "The show is over!" The guards filed out of the bathroom, followed by Lex. Superman was right behind the billionaire.

"I know the truth," he ground into Luthor's ear, "and you might think you're fooling everyone about Phaze, but the real story will come out."

When Luthor looked back at the Man of Steel, his gaze was triumphant. "Really?" he chided softly. "I figured you would be here, and I prepared a surprise for you."

Superman could feel a tightness in his chest. It quickly passed, but he was concerned.

"What surprise?" he asked. Luthor smiled.

"Oh, just a homecoming party for you, complete with souvenirs," he said. Chuckling, Lex went back into the room to deal with the press. Superman could hear him saying that an old mirror had shattered, causing the noise, but that it was being taken care of.

Left behind, Selina saw that Superman wasn't looking well. He was flushed, and as she swiped a hand across his brow, she could tell that he was feverish. Her green eyes showed concern. He was looking up at her as he started sinking to the floor. She got behind him, breaking his fall.

"What is it?" she asked. As the Man of Steel felt the familiar tremors taking over his body, he realized what the blonde assassin had blown into him, and what Luthor's parting remark had meant.

"K-kryptonite," he breathed to Selina before passing out.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN: STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: Superman lies expiring as Selina comes to grip with her feelings. Wally meets a new woman. There is an appearance by the Atom for all of you Ray Palmer fans.**

**Thanks to all who are sticking with this story, and hugs to all new readers and reviewers as well! You guys make me a better writer, and I appreciate any and all of your suggestions about the pairings in this fic!**

Selina rocked Superman as he started shivering from the chills which were engulfing him at the moment. Her eyes scanned the window, but she knew that she couldn't climb out and escape to get help so that the fallen superhero was vulnerable to Luther's whims. She didn't know how deep their animosity went, but she wasn't going to take any changes.

The Man of Steel moaned softly, then opened his eyes. He coughed, and wheezed a little before his symptoms quieted.

"Is there anything I can do?" Selina asked, genuinely concerned for the hero's welfare.

She realized in that moment that although she had not known him very long, he had become a dear friend. Who else had tried to aid her by getting a reporter to find out information about her double, and more importantly, who else had believed in her innocence? There was no one else she could trust, no one who would give her a chance that she could think of.

Superman was raising his arm weakly, whispering, "Side pocket...in my cape...communicator." Selina's hand drifted to his right pocket before he shook his head urgently.

"No," he instructed softly, "left pocket." The Catwoman nodded and reached inside. After a moment, she extracted a small, thin black device resembling a cell phone.

"Who should I call?" she asked.

"Justice...League..." Superman croaked. "Tell them where we are."

Selina had a panicked look. Supposed the high-and-mighty heroes though she had something to do with Superman's condition? Suppose they sent her back to prison first and asked questions later? There had to be someone else non-superhero-y that the Man of Steel knew. She forced herself to remain calm.

"I can't," she said, matter-of-factly. "Do you know what they'll do to me?"

Superman's hot and sweaty hand reached out to grasp hers. Selina felt the hugeness of his fingers, and a soft caress before he dropped his hand again.

"Ask for...the Flash," the red and blue clad hero advised. "Tell him to come here; he'll know what to do." The Man of Steel didn't add that, in actuality, the Flash was still more than likely in the exhibition hall rather than the Watchtower.

"But..." Selina protested.

"Trust me; he'll understand. Set the device...to the seventh setting. That's his...own frequency," Superman said with more force before succumbing to the deadly Kryptonite's effects. He went limp in Selina's arms. She reached out and smoothed his trademark curl to one side, looking at the handsome face.

_**Bad **__girl, looking at him as though he was catnip! _She chided herself. Selina jerked open the communications device and spoke haltingly.

"Hello...is this the Flash?" she asked.

The Flash's voice sounded as if it were close by. "Yeah," he responded. "Who is this?"

"Just someone who's looking after Superman," she said. "He wanted me to tell you that he's hurt."

"_What?!" _the easily agitated superhero asked. "Where is he? How badly is he hurt?"

Selina said, "It's bad; it's Kryptonite."

"Crap," the Flash responded, breathing heavily. "Just tell me your address and I'll send some help!"

"You must come alone," Selina said urgently. "He insisted." There was a moment's hesitation as the Flash considered.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

In the exhibition hall, Wally looked for all intents and purposes like he was gabbing on a cell phone, but he was looking around to see if anyone would notice his quick departure. Luthor seemed to still be preoccupied with the press. The paparazzi were engrossed with him; some people were admiring other exhibitions and still others were looking at the pink chemical in the crystalline bottle: Luthor's newest "discovery", Phaze.

Wally knew there would never be another opportunity. He could ask about why Superman insisted that he come alone later. "Where can I meet you?" he said into the device.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Struggling to drag Superman to the door, Selina said, "Believe it or not, we're in the women's bathroom on the northern side. Please hurry!"

"I'll be there before you can say 'Jimminy Crickets,'" Wally's voice promised.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He hung up and was about to go change when he saw a woman in a beautiful blue dress watching him. Whirling around, he saw Lucy Lane, who was giving him an appraising look.

"Hi," she greeted, waving her hand a little timidly.

"Hi," Wally said, his mind not really on talking to her at the moment.

Lucy read his preoccupation with something else right off. "Let me guess," she asked, "busy, right?"

Wally's eyes strayed to her. He inwardly groaned as he got a good look at what she was wearing, and as he got a whiff of her clean smelling perfume. Why was it that life handed one a curve ball just when things were starting to get interesting? He knew the lady was waiting for an answer.

"Very busy," he responded truthfully. For some reason, Wally felt like he had to explain himself. "I've gotta go visit a sick friend."

Lucy said, "I'm really sorry to hear that. Maybe I could help. I've had some medical training."

Wally shook his head. He smiled a little at her kindness, and obvious attraction to him. "No, no, I appreciate it," he told her, "but my friend wouldn't be too crazy at having a stranger in his apartment. You know how it is."

Lucy's face fell slightly, but she understood, since she had kind of crossed the boundaries of propriety by inviting herself to a man's friend's house that she didn't even know.

"I'm sorry for your friend," she told Wally. Opening her matching clutch bag, Lucy got out a small piece of paper and wrote her name and phone number on it.

"If you ever need any help from me or your friend does, please let me know," she said.

"Thanks," Wally said, all business now. He had left the room and had found a place to change at super speed into his costume. It was as he ran to the women's bathroom that he realized he had not given Lucy his name.

"Oh, for the love of…" the Flash muttered. But that didn't matter. He had Superman to think of. He wondered why the Man of Tomorrow had asked for him specifically. It wasn't as though he had medical training. That was J'onn's specialty, and some other heroes, too.

As he opened the door to the women's bathroom and saw Catwoman nursing Superman with a cold compress, the Flash knew why.

"I'm not even gonna ask what you're doing here," he began. "Just let me know when Rod Serling's ghost comes by."

Despite his pain, Superman chuckled a little at the Flash's lame joke. "Always…the same…" the Kryptonian commented. The Flash held up a first aid kit.

"I don't know if I'll be able to help much," he said. Superman eyed the kit despite his growing inability to focus.

"That…won't do it," he gasped out. He was breathing heavily. Selina turned concerned eyes on his friend. The Flash whipped out his teleportation device and hit the button.

"But this will…" he was heard to say as the trio disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXX

Inside the exhibition hall, Lucy thought about her encounter with the second redheaded man. She really hoped his friend was all right, just as her other half hoped that the friend wasn't a sexual companion. She really wanted to get to know him better, whoever he was.

"Oh, f—" she started saying when she realized he had not left his cell phone number. Just then, Jimmy walked up with a small, blonde girl.

"Hey, Lucy," he said, "meet Buffy."

"Hello," Buffy greeted with a slightly Bostonian accent. Jimmy looked slightly abashed at having not paid attention to Lucy much.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more available tonight," he said. Lucy saw the way he held Buffy's hand.

"It's okay, really," she told the pair.

"It's just that we started talking about cameras while we stood next to each other, taking pictures," Jimmy explained. He went on to tell Lucy that Buffy worked freelance, and while she was visiting relatives in Metropolis, she had taken a job at the _Metropolis Times._ Lucy held up a hand.

"Jimmy!" she said, getting his attention. Jimmy stopped his rambling.

"It's okay, really!" she repeated with more emphasis. She looked straight at Buffy.

"We're just friends," she told her. The ever practical girl wasn't jealous.

"So, it's okay if we talk about…cameras?" Buffy asked, her voice suggestive as she stared at James Olson.

"Sure," Lucy said. "You both look great together." Jimmy smiled, squeezing Buffy's hand.

"We were thinking of grabbing some dinner," Jimmy started, then looked around to see if Clark was there and might be hungry.

"Where's Mr. Kent?" he asked. Lucy looked for Clark but didn't see him. Some other reporters were filing out as the party started winding down.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she said. Jimmy turned his attention back to Buffy.

"What about you?" he asked Lucy. "You wanna go get some food? I know this place that serves great chili dogs."

"As appetizing as that sounds, I have to take a rain check," Lucy said, not wanting to be a third wheel in Jimmy's obviously budding relationship. Buffy was smiling her gratitude.

"Okay," Jimmy replied. "Later." He and Buffy walked out. Moments later, Lucy followed. As she drove home, she hoped that the mysterious red headed man would call her sometime, and that his friend would get well soon.

XXXXXXXXX

Inside the Watchtower, J'onn bent over Superman as he checked several medical instruments. In the background, Selina watched while the Atom walked on his torso toward the Man of Steel's face. He took a sample of saliva courtesy of a huge tongue depressor. Superman's breathing had become more shallow. The Atom jumped onto a silver tray of medical paraphernalia.

After a moment, he studied the minute particles of green dust on the stick and ordered, "Respirator."

The Flash went to get the instrument on the side of the room. He slid it over as J'onn attached it. The Atom's next words had the Scarlet Speedster going to the chemical lab.

"We need an infusion of lead dust, finely ground," the sometimes tiny hero clarified.

Moments later, a small box about the size of a jewel chest was pumping lead dust into the Man of Steel. Selina watched as Superman took small, less labored breaths.

"I'll have to run tests, and I'll need your help," the Atom said to the Martian Manhunter.

J'onn reported, "I linked to his subconscious mind. Superman was exposed to some dust earlier this evening when a blonde woman blew it on his face."

The Atom looked grim. "Uh huh," he said. "I'm sure the tests will confirm that this dust is highly concentrated, and because of its minute particles, it is coating his lungs. The lead dust will buy some time, but because of the larger infusion of Kryptonite already inside of him, it will only delay the inevitable."

"The inevitable?" the Flash asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. The six inch sized superhero leaped to the floor and grew to normal size.

He looked at both of his colleagues, saying, "Superman is dying. He _will _die unless he is exposed to a greater degree of lead particles to counteract the exposure to the Kryptonite. It's already got a magnificent head start." The Atom held up the slide with the sample.

"This slide proves it," he said. "There are sub atomic particles of dust on it. They're so minute that the slide probably looks normal to you guys. I spotted them, however, when I was smaller."

"He's not gonna die!" The Flash shouted. "He's _Superman, _for chrissakes! The Man of Steel! He's been exposed to Kryptonite before and lived to tell the tale!"

The Martian Manhunter told the Flash, "I hope you are correct. I have lost too many friends, and I am not seeking to bury another."

Selina felt tears gather as she watched the proceedings. _I hope so, too, _she thought.

"Flash," the Atom said suddenly. The Fastest Man on Earth saluted the Atom.

"Ya vol Mon Captain," he replied with a bad German accent. Ray Palmer looked at him dryly.

"Sorry," the Flash apologized. "Whaddaya need?"

"We need a huge infusion of lead dust, larger than the amount here," he said, looking at Superman. The Man of Steel was starting to writhe in pain.

"Get to Star Labs. They should have the materials we need to perform the operation," he said to him. When the Flash had teleported away, the Atom looked at the Martian Manhunter.

"Can you run some tests for me?" he asked J'onn. "I need to find out the exact amount of Kryptonite inside of him for this to work."

The Martian Manhunter grabbed the slide and headed for the chemistry lab next door. When she was alone with the Atom, the Catwoman spoke softly.

"What do you mean about an operation?" she asked. The Atom turned toward her, his look accusatory. He jerked his head to the side and glanced at Superman.

"The lead dust will have to be administered from the inside in order to be the most effective," he said in a clinical voice. "I'm going in."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN: STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: Thanks to those who dropped me a word that they like Wally and Lucy together. Some words of caution, though: nothing is etched in stone. **

**In this chapter, the Atom does a Tuck Pendleton (the character Dennis Quaid played in the movie "Innerspace" which I don't own), and Selina has words with Lex.**

**Continue to let me know what you want to see in this story.**

"You have to operate from inside of him?" Selina asked the Atom.

"Yes," he said. "It's the only hope he has."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" the Catwoman wanted to know.

The Atom faced Superman. He was unconscious. The monitors were peaceful for the moment. They registered a slight heart beat.

"No, we've got it covered," the Atom answered curtly.

_Hang on, _the atomic scientist urged to the Man of Steel. _I won't let you die, and I won't let anyone hurt you, my friend._

He didn't trust Catwoman any farther than he could throw her. When he'd first heard about her, she had blonde hair. Since J'onn, the Flash, and he didn't know the name of the assailant, Selina could easily have been that woman; or, if Wally's story corroborated that she had been at Luthor's party, the other woman could have been her partner in the demise of Superman.

Selina was hurt and angry at the same time. It was obvious that this man in the red and blue costume, the one Batman had referred to as Atom, held her responsible for a crime that she didn't commit. Like a cat defending itself, Selina spun him around.

"Hey!" the superhero snapped.

"Hey, yourself!" Selina cried. "This won't take long." The Atom crossed his arms and frowned, waiting for the woman in the dress to make her speech.

"Now, look!" she said. "I know what you all think of me, and I don't blame you on a certain level. I am a criminal, and I've done some pretty questionible things. But if you know anything about me, then you also know that I don't kill my victims. I steal from them and I may put them in the hospital, but I don't attack them to this extreme."

Her eyes lingered on the Man of Steel's face. There was no movement, except for his closed eyes twitching.

"The Batman will tell you that I am extremely loyal to those who help me, and he _is _helping me on a case," Catwoman said. "So, maybe we should call a truce here until we find out more facts, okay?" The scientist considered whether he should believe her. He wasn't still certain of her veracity, but he thought of a way that he could be sure.

"All right," the Atom said, catching J'onn in his sights behind Selina. He nodded to the Martian, mentally asking him to see if Selina was lying about not being the one who poisoned Superman.

_I shall find out, _J'onn promised.

He gave the Atom the test results, then J'onn's mind slowly entered Selina's. The telepath saw no signs of lies or deception. He also saw no indication of a connection with the blonde from Superman's mind or anything else.

"You may be incorrect," the Martian Manhunter told the Atom. Before the smaller superhero said anything, J'onn looked at him.

_I see nothing to indicate she is lying, _the green skinned alien thought back to the scientist.

"In fact," J'onn said aloud, "if she had not been there with Superman after this happened, he might not have lived through it. She was the one who got the Flash to the location and therefore, they were able to come here in record time."

The Atom looked at Selina, and he finally said a little more gently, "There isn't much you can do, except pray to any gods you believe in. If we need you, we'll call you." The Catwoman opened her mouth to protest, but seeing the conciliatory look in the scientist's brown eyes, she nodded and went outside.

Once Selina had gone, the Flash teleported back with a huge grey box. "Hey, guys!" he said. "Where do I drop this?"

"Nowhere," Ray responded. "You _carry_ it over to the table and wheel it beside the bed."

The youngest superhero readily complied. The Atom attached dials to Superman's chest, head, and arms. He then placed a tube down the Man of Steel's throat.

"Let's go into the lab and scrub up for surgery," the Atom commanded. When the Flash and the Martian Manhunter filed out, the atomic scientist walked outside to where Selina sat.

"I still don't know if you're that trustworthy," he said, "however, one is supposed to be innocent before he or she is proven guilty, right?"

"That's about the size of it," Selina responded. The Atom's red and blue clad arm shot out as he pointed down the hallway.

"There is a lounging area, complete with a comfortable couch," he said. "You can go there and take a catnap. If he survives the operation, Superman should be up and about in a few hours."

"Thank you," Selina said. She waited until the Atom and the other two heroes were in the room next door to where Superman lay. Coming back into the medical area, she rubbed his hand with her long, slender fingers. Tugging it to her cheek, the Catwoman felt the excessive heat coming from it.

"I'm sorry that you got mixed up in this," she said. "All you tried to do was help and look where that's got you. They always tell boy scouts to be prepared, even big blue ones."

Superman softly moaned. Selina looked by his bed for a tissue to dab his sweating brow with. When she didn't find one, she spied his cape on the chair by the table. She started reaching in his pockets.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

In the next room, the Flash was rinsing his hands very quickly. "I sure hope he makes it," he said. J'onn placed a companionable hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"He will," the Martian said with conviction. "Of that, I have no doubt."

"That's great!" the Flash exclaimed. "Cause the way he danced with the Catwoman and the way she held him when he was sick in the ladies' room, I would hate to see the S. S. Love blimp go down in flames!"

Both of the other heroes just stared at the Scarlet Speedster. He shrugged.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I know I was concerned for Supes when he decided to help her, and I still am, but Big Blue can take care of himself, and anyway, you didn't see them together. There's definitely _something _there. Maybe it's just animal attraction, but we owe it to them both to pull him through so that they can find out, hmm?"

The Atom shook his head and laughed a little, saying, "You are _amazing! _Leave it to you to turn a life-or-death situation into a chance at romance."

The Flash moved to defend himself. "I'm just sayin'," he muttered. By the time they reached the other room and wheeled the Man of Steel to the operating table, Selina was back in the hall.

"Don't worry," she said softly, "I promise that she'll **pay **for what she's done to you." Selina took out the teleportation device she had nicked from Superman's cape and after a moment of adjusting it to what she hoped was the proper setting, the cat burglar disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the operating room, having caught the exchange with his super hearing, the Man of Tomorrow groaned a soft, "No…". He lifted his arm as the Atom placed a mask over him and turned on some gas. Superman's arm dropped listlessly to his side.

_No, stop…_his mind said. J'onn caught the plea before Superman passed out.

"Don't worry," the scientist said, thinking Superman had been protesting the surgery or was simply delirious. "You're going to be okay," he told the Kryptonian while he prepared a hypo.

"What's in there?" the Flash asked as he beheld the green liquid inside the needle.

"Hair of the dog," the Atom replied. The younger superhero looked slightly confused before he got what the scientist was telling him.

"You mean, you're gonna use more Kryptonite on him?" he asked. "That'll kill him, for sure!"

"And how do you think I'll be able to pierce his skin in order to be injected inside?" the scientist asked. "Any other material wouldn't work."

"The Atom is correct," J'onn's harmonious voice agreed. "There is no other option." He faced the sometimes miniature superhero.

"I assume that you want to be injected into his arm?" the Martian asked.

"Yes," the Atom responded. He lowered his mask and placed a tiny grey device resembling a Bluetooth into his ear.

"I'll be in touch from the moment of entry," he promised. "You'll be able to see and hear everything I do." He placed a knapsack onto his back.

"This sack contains all the dust I'll need," he said, going on to explain, "the Man of Steel has about 25,000 particles inside of him already of the deadly substance. I've got to go through his arm, then fly over to his lungs and scatter the dust into him. Once it takes hold, his natural recuperative abilities will be able to expel the Kryptonite dust naturally."

"But, how're you going to get to his lungs?" the Flash asked. "You've got some kind of capsule or something, like in that movie _Innerspace?"_

The Atom smiled, saying, "Why, yes, actually. How did you guess?" J'onn was wheeling another table with a large capsule resembling a long cigar. It was silver and contained a single seat inside. There were hundreds of dials and graphs in it, including a small transmitter."

"You should have sufficient oxygen for four hours," J'onn told the atomic scientist. "After that, you shall need to return."

The Flash gave the Atom a thumbs up gesture as he said, "Good luck, buddy!"

The Atom climbed into the capsule and thought, _I'm gonna need it! _Aloud, he said, "Okay. I'll shut the door from all outside noise and test the communications band on my device." The Martian Manhunter walked over to a device resembling a radio and switched it on. Both superheroes waited a moment, then, they heard his voice.

The Flash went over to another part of the machine and spoke into its microphone. "All right!" he exclaimed. "You're coming through loud and clear!"

"So are _you," _the Atom chided, "so, try to keep the noise down, okay? It's not like I'm deaf."

"Sorry," the Flash apologized. J'onn took the hypo as the Flash took over the communications device. Both watched as the Atom's capsule got tinier and tinier. J'onn took a cylindrical barrel shaped device and placed it on the table next to where he hoped the Atom was. The Flash grabbed some glasses off of another table and handed one to J'onn and kept one for himself.

"You still with us?" the Scarlet Speedster was asking the diminutive scientist. A tense second had passed.

"Still here," the Atom's voice reported. "I'm inside of the black barrel. Attach it to the side of the needle and press the plunger in. I should be inside of the Kryptonite."

"What about the radioactive liquid?" J'onn asked.

"The capsule is shielded with enough lead so that I'll be okay," the Atom transmitted, "although that will start to lose its shielding, too, after the four hours. Hazards of being inside a body with different corrosives and such." J'onn attached the barrel and pressed the plunger. After a moment, they heard the Atom saying that he was inside the liquid and they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now," the Atom's voice instructed, "inject me inside." J'onn used an alcohol pad and sterilized Superman's left arm. A moment later, he pressed the hypo to the skin and pushed all of the contents of it into Superman's body.

"Atom?" the Flash wondered. When he didn't hear anything, the Flash tried again.

"Atom?" he asked, worried.

"All clear! I've made it!" the tiny scientist's voice exclaimed. The Flash cheered and the Martian Manhunter muttered, "thank the moons of Esteria," a planet he had been fond of visiting on some trips from Mars.

"I must say, his body is amazing!" the Atom's broadcast commented. "I never get tired of seeing inside sub atomic particles!" A few minutes passed before the Atom announced that he was making his way past the corpuscles in Superman's arm and that it would take about ninety minutes before he reached an air duct.

Both heroes waited with baited breath for their colleague to report again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina checked her notepad which listed where Lex Luthor was staying. When she read the name _Luthor Towers _over the awning she knew she had found the right place. The Catwoman extended her metallic claws and smiled. She used her cat o' nine tails to grab onto the horizontal flag pole and swing up. Climbing up onto a balcony, Selina used the whip again to wrap it around the terrace on the seventh floor and swing onto its cement flooring.

She repeated the process three more times until she found herself on the floor where the Penthouse was.

She knew that, if she had wanted, she could have taken an elevator; however, she was on the prowl tonight and she wanted the element of surprise on her side. She peered inside the window and though the light was off, she could see the silhouette of Lex Luthor as he turned buried under his luxurious sheets.

Lex turned once more, and then his dark eyes snapped open when he felt a cold fingernail pressed against his trachea. He started to jerk himself up when he heard a low growl like that of a cat.

"What…?" he whispered.

The Catwoman's knees were on either side of the ruthless billionaire. "Move one inch farther and that will be the last sound you'll ever make!" she said softly.

"What is it you want?" Luthor asked, not moving.

The Catwoman smiled as she answered, "Information. You were at the party earlier with a blonde…a very pretty blonde."

"So?" Luthor said defiantly. His hand moved ever-so-slightly under the sheet to grab a device. Once he gripped it tightly, he pressed a button on it.

"I thought we should get together for a saucer of milk, so I want to know her name," Selina said sarcastically.

"How should I know?" Luthor asked. "I don't keep track of all of my lady friends. I have a better use for my time."

Selina traced her nail along the column of his neck. "Too bad," she said with mock concern. "It would be worth your while if you could remember _this _one."

Luthor's face gave nothing away. He just had to stall long enough for security to burst in to deal with this pest! "I believe her name is…" he started saying.

They both reacted to two security guards coming into the suite. Selina somersaulted off of the bed and slammed her leg into one guard, knocking him out. Before the second one could open fire or engage in a fist fight, the Mistress of Cats used her whip and disarmed him with a stinging blow. The man jerked back his injured hand, but was knocked out a second later.

Selina resumed her position with both knees beside Luthor's body. She clenched him with them so that Luthor grunted with some pain.

"I won't ask again," the Catwoman said. She jerked the sheets off of the evil billionaire and, spying the device, took it and threw it toward a wall so that it shattered. Luthor looked into her covered face with fear.

"Who is she, and where is her stomping ground?" she asked, her voice meaning business.

Lex rattled off her name and location, then when she was gone he reached over to his private extension by the bed. "Mercy!" he barked into the phone. "Get in here! I have a job for you!"


	12. Chapter 12

STEEL THY HEART, CHAPTER TWELVE

**A/N: For this story about superheroes, my true heroes are those really wonderful people who reviewed this story, or alerted this fan fiction, or gave me a "favorite story" or "author alert". You guys are more super than Superman, and I really appreciate you!**

**I've set up room for a possible sequel with the first part of the story. Also, for the part involving the Atom, I will reveal that I am not a doctor, so if there is any glaring error on my part with the medical drama, I apologize. Let me know without flames what's incorrect, and I will try to fix it, thanks. **

**There will be some more familiar faces in this chapter. **

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Batman sat in the small spaceship bound for Earth at long last after an exhaustive search for the junior ruler of Alton Seven. In comparison to what steps might have to be taken, finding the Prince had been the easy part. What was tougher was deciding whether or not the Justice League wanted to keep the planet on its list of celestial bodies they aided and protected.

"I still say we've got to meet with the other four senior Leaguers about this," Wonder Woman was arguing as she piloted the ship. Batman's face was, as always, looking the same, but the way he sat and the manner of crossing his arms told the Amazon that he was not pleased at the recent turn of events.

"Do you realize what the Prince has done by involving us?" the Caped Crusader argued. "He's not only gotten himself in hot water, he's placed us there, too. I think that we should vote 'no' on the renewal of ties to Alton Seven."

"I agree with you that this is a sticky mess, moreso on their side rather than ours, but our voting to possibly not extend the olive branch to Alton Seven doesn't just involve them. It involves diplomatic relations with the other six neighboring planets we have pledged our allegiance to. No matter the reason for what the Prince did, they're liable to view any negative actions on our part as a breach of good faith and as an act of war," the Princess protested.

"Wonder Woman's right," Green Lantern spoke up. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we can't just vote to wash our ties of that system. We have to tread softly, and ask the others. Anyway, it _is _in the by laws: all of the original seven of us have to vote on this, and the majority wins."

Diana punched the sequence codes that would enable the ship to circumnavigate the barrier separating Earth's galaxy from Alton Seven's. "It doesn't matter," Batman replied. "I know which way I'm more likely to vote unless I get a more persuasive viewpoint."

As the ship pivoted to the left and propelled itself toward the barrier, Wonder Woman thought, _oh, Bruce, sometimes you're so hardnosed that you don't see the forest for the trees. I wonder if you'll ever change?_

She thought about their relationship, and the joy that it had brought. If she had been as desperate as the Prince to do what he did, Diana wondered if she could go through with it? The Prince had been wrong, and he had been incredibly stupid, but he did his foolish act in the spirit of romance.

Diana could sympathize. After all, her mother had lost her head once upon a time to a hell god, had she not? And, for the Princess's part, she had lost her heart to a mortal man who was unlikely to ever return her love. Although that was foolhardy, wasn't romance about the naïve and sometimes idiotic things people did? Didn't the ones with romantic notions and actions deserve a second chance, at least sometimes?

Batman was oblivious to the Princess's inner struggle between her heart and her head. He was thinking about the consequences of the Prince's actions, and about how the others would view the ruler when all of the facts emerged. The Dark Knight stole a look just then at Diana and, for a brief moment, allowed the man buried deep inside to come to the surface. She was staring straight ahead and didn't see the longing look Bruce cast her way. His hand reached out slowly as though he meant to caress her cheek, but then it dropped as the Batman's inner wall rose up.

With his usual ability to see both sides of an issue, Green Lantern decided to wait until the incident was presented at the meeting that would be called once the proverbial doggy do hit the fan. He could practically predict how the original seven Leaguers would vote. He also knew that he would side with whoever had the best point-of-view in the end. Because his pragmatic nature told him to wait, the emerald clad superhero let himself relax for the moment so that his mind could focus on other things.

By that time, Green Lantern had dozed off in his seat, his thoughts strayed to a red headed beauty and her fiery temper. His large lips curled in a seductive smile as he recalled the night of passion they'd had together not too long ago. His mind changed just then to another woman, her oval face and warm brown eyes a sexual siren for him, too. John had picked up relations with Vixen when it looked as though Shayera and he were over, but then, the model with animal powers was going off with another man: her cabana boy, Trey.

Although it had bothered John at the time, he and Mari did set an example for the other younger Leaguers by parting amicably, and now, the former couple really was the best of friends. So, John asked Shayera to a boxing match in his neighborhood, since he knew she was interested in any kind of brutal fighting that his planet had to offer. The bird winged alien had agreed, and their relationship was rekindled. John shifted slightly in his seat and his breathing was peaceful.

Wonder Woman checked the instruments as she announced, "We're approaching the barrier. There'll be some turbulence."

Batman acknowledged her words with a scowl as he strapped himself in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the Man of Steel, the Atom was feeling a different kind of turbulence as he reached the air ducts in Superman's lungs. The capsule was tossed around like a leaf caught in a gigantic wind tunnel. The tiny superhero was glad that he hadn't eaten lunch before this mission. He was also glad that the alien technology the Justice League had employed from the Alton system had decreased the time required to reach Superman's vital respiratory organs to a matter of minutes.

Reporting the disturbances inside the ducts to the Flash and the Martian Manhunter, the Atom finished with, "it seems that despite the superior technology, I've miscalculated the time somewhat."

The Flash checked the time elapsed since the Atom had begun his trip inside of Superman. "Yeah," he agreed, "looks like you've spent an extra 40 minutes trying to get to his lungs. What's it like in there?"

Ignoring the Flash's inquiry, the Atom checked the elapsed time on his tiny display terminal. It read: 1:50:00 and counting. He hoped nothing would go wrong when he found what looked like a secure surface where he could attach the hook which would stabilize the capsule. Mentally checking his equations and also crossing his fingers, the Atom pressed the button to fire the grappling hook to secure the ship to the side of the Man of Steel's lung tissue.

The hook fired, then it grabbed hold of a solid wall of tissue on the far left side. "Whew!" the diminutive doctor said.

"What was that?" the Flash's voice was asking. "I didn't copy."

"Nothing," the Atom responded.

He studied the dust inside and realized the amount in Superman's air passageways had all but smothered his formerly pink lungs. The offending radioactive material was lining the walls like crystal shards embedded in a mine, and it was freely floating throughout. Although the capsule still swung somewhat via the breaths the Man of Steel was taking, the Atom could tell that the way the air was circulating meant his lungs were clogged.

_Don't worry, _he mentally told the dying superhero, _I'm gonna make sure you get the cleansing material you need right away! _

"You won't die on my watch," the Atom said to himself. He pressed the buttons for the sequence that would fire the lead capsules, pausing to check the notes beside him about the Kryptonite.

"Atom?" J'onn's voice came over the communications band. "What is happening in there?"

For a moment, no one said anything; then, the Atom's voice was heard. "It's a green nightmare in here! I'm preparing to fire some capsules into his lungs. They've got a two minute window before impact on the walls followed by the release of the lead. Once that happens, if we're lucky, his breathing will be stronger and he'll recover," the small superhero told his friends.

The Flash checked the monitors and looked over at his fallen comrade. "What about the rest of him?" he asked worriedly. "He's starting to look like J'onn." He turned his head in the direction of the Martian Manhunter.

"No offense," he apologized.

"None taken," J'onn replied. While he thought the color of peridot green was appealing, the Flash was right. The last Martian didn't want Superman to be the same shade he was. That meant that time was running out.

The Atom cursed softly. He knew that if the Man of Steel was turning green on the outside, the radiation was overtaking him. Soon, the lead capsules wouldn't have any effect. He had wanted to take notes to be sure his calculations about how many capsules should be fired were correct, but there wasn't a moment to lose. Crossing his fingers for real this time, the diminutive doctor hoped for the best as he saw the capsules imbed themselves.

Outside, the Flash scrutinized the monitor. His eyes widened when he beheld the green line in the middle of the screen stop rising and falling. The Scarlet Speedster clutched J'onn's arm.

"Look…" he whispered, his voice deathly still. The Martian stared at the reading and they looked at each other, wondering how to tell the Atom what was going on.

"Flatline," J'onn said gravely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sylvia Summers opened the brown briefcase containing 2.5 million dollars that Mercy Graves had delivered earlier that evening. As she counted all of the large bills therein, she thought about Lex and his generosity, or lack thereof, since he had so many more millions Sylvia wouldn't mind grabbing. Once she had him on her radar, she had taken it upon herself to work her way into Lex's inner circle so that she was indispensable to him.

She had learned to hang on his every word and to tell him how great he was in order to pump his already inflated ego despite the fact that when she was alone, she regarded him as a total bore. She particularly was finding it difficult to stay awake whenever Luthor touched her. Sylvia couldn't wait until she was alone so that she could meet her true lover.

Looking forward to the evening she had planned, she thought, _there's always Charlie. _

Charles Mason was a gorgeous man with bedroom eyes and the body of a dancer with the skill of a top notch bouncer. He bore a striking resemblance to that actor who had played Gunn on _Angel, _except that his eyes were a tawny hazel brown. Sylvia had lustful feelings towards him on sight when she had seen him at her gym during his teaching an aerobics class.

Charles and Sylvia had found a kinship in each other, particularly when they realized they had the same, avaricious goals. To that end, they made plans which involved collecting millions from a rich patsy and placing them in an untraceable Swiss bank account; getting a plane that would take them to Madrid where they could live off of the stolen funds for the rest of their lives. In Spain, Sylvia knew that they would be safe since Lex had told her that he detested that country. Yes, Lex had given her a paltry two million, five hundred thousand dollars, but she had taken much more than that (in discreet doses, of course,) so that her net worth was over five million dollars.

Sylvia ran her hand through her long, golden blonde hair. She changed into her sleek, black leather jacket and skin tight pants that caressed her lithe figure. Looking at the array of fruit scented perfumes on her dresser including the latest one from Lex, the blonde woman used the one entitled, _Nightshade. _It smelled like nothing she'd ever sampled before. She inhaled its sweet fragrance and continued getting ready for Charlie. Sylvia was putting on her red lipstick when she heard a knock at the door.

_Who could that be? _She wondered, since Charles wasn't due at her place until at least an hour later.

The young woman opened her door to an older female dressed in the midnight blue costume of a cat resembling a panther. Behind her mask, Selina's eyes were measuring Sylvia's height and weight. The Mistress of Cats wanted nothing to go wrong when she kicked the blonde assassin into Metropolis General, complete with broken ribs, a shattered kneecap and possibly a dislocated jaw.

"If you're looking for a masquerade party, Club Gato up the street is having one," Sylvia said snidely.

Selina's claws, which were bigger than in the last costume, were extended. "I'm not looking for them," she said. "I've found the mouse I want." She dropped to a fighting crouch. Sylvia did the same. Her eyes blazed with anger.

"You little fool!" she hissed. "You don't know who you're dealing with." They circled each other; then, when she saw an opportunity, Sylvia used a judo throw on Selina.

"Oh, I think I _know _who I'm dealing with!" the Catwoman shouted, ramming Sylvia into her dresser. Several perfume bottles were knocked over when she hit the top of it. Using her arm, the blonde assassin pushed Selina off of her.

"You're the one who poisoned Superman!" Selina shouted, each word a dagger in the younger woman's ear. "And, I'm going to see you burn in Hell for it!" Sylvia flipped Selina over onto the bed, but the Catwoman fell off of its edge onto her back.

"Not likely!" Sylvia threatened. Selina recovered enough to roll to the side when Sylvia clasped her arms into one fist and tried to slam it against the Catwoman.

They traded blows as Sylvia accused, "you think I don't know about you? You don't kill your victims! I've read all about you and I _will_ throw you into the next century!"

Selina snorted. She yanked the bedroom rug so that Sylvia tripped. "You're just a stupid little rat who doesn't know when she's trapped!" the Catwoman snapped. When Sylvia rebounded, she grabbed the knife on the nightstand.

"We'll soon see about that!" she threatened. Sylvia was about to cut the Catwoman's throat when she felt warm. The blonde gasped slightly as she felt her air in her chest constrict. Clutching her torso, Sylvia collapsed to the floor. The phone was ringing as Selina watched her struggle to breathe.

Picking up the land phone, she said into its' receiver, "help...me...".

"Sweetness?" Luthor asked. "You sound funny. Is there anyone you need me to call?"

"Call...hos...pi—" Sylvia uttered her last words as she yanked the receiver off of the nightstand. Selina watched as she turned blue, then her chest was still. The Catwoman went over and tried to feel for a pulse, but the younger female was already dead.

"Who is this?" Selina said into the phone. No one answered. The next sound she heard was a dial tone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Luthor was getting a needed massage as he let Olga Frantz, his personal masseuse, do a shiatsu on his back. He heard a knock at the door.

"Yes?" he asked. Mercy came inside.

"The deed is done," she said. Luthor nodded.

"I would like to send some flowers to my lovely date," Luthor said to her. "Please have some lilies delivered to Sylvia first thing tomorrow morning." Mercy nodded, letting herself out. When she was gone, Luthor laid back on his arms and smiled contentedly as Olga massaged them.

_Lilies always were her favorites, _the billionaire thought.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Atom saw the indicators on his dashboard. Superman was not breathing, and his other vital signs were all but deteriorating. He thought about what he could do to revive the Man of Steel when he heard Green Lantern's voice.

"Atom!" his deep voice cried over the communication band.

"Lantern," the tiny scientist said sadly, "welcome home. I wish it were under better circumstances." He gave a quick account of what he knew.

"He's not licked yet," he told the other heroes in the medical area.

Green Lantern activated his ring. He sent out a signal which would alert the Guardians, who were extremely loyal to Superman and owed him a dozen favors.

"We need to tell Supergirl," Wonder Woman advised.

"But how are we gonna get Kara here? She's in deep space on a mission and it'll take days to get back here," The Flash said. "Even I know that if Supes is gonna live, we've gotta get some clear Kryptonian blood into him to flush out that toxic stuff."

Wonder Woman grabbed his hand, saying, "Kal, you are the closest thing to a brother that I have. You must make it out of this."

Batman stared at the man who he had regarded as a friend, even though he didn't admit it. _If you don't make it, I'll find a way for Zara to zap me to the after life where I'll kill you! You've got the will and the strength to survive, so __**live! **_The Dark Knight thought.

As if he heard all of the thoughts and verbalizations of the people in the room, Superman's heart monitor beeped once. After a few moments, it beat again. The monitor showed that it stopped again, but as it beat a few minutes later, the heroes found hope that he could pull through.

"His heart is beating slowly," J'onn stated as he stared at the machine, "but it _is_ beating!"

Atom's voice cut in, saying, "But we still need an influx of blood to help him. The lead capsules are assisting in his breathing; however, he might as well be brain dead unless we can get some good blood into him."

A green flash of light surrounded the heroes just then, and a Guardian who was about three feet tall with a wide blue face and Supergirl materialized in the medical bay.

"Perhaps I can help," he offered.


	13. Chapter 13

STEEL THY HEART CHAPTER THIRTEEN

**A/N: Superman is engaged in a life-or-death struggle; Batman has words with Selina, and Sylvia's death is brought to light in this chapter. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl, the Guardians, or any other characters which are publically recognizable in this chapter, or in any other chapter.**

XXXXXXXXXX

Charlie let himself into the apartment that he and Sylvia sometimes shared; his plane tickets to Madrid in hand. He was so glad that Syl had called him earlier that night. Charlie was only too eager to help her, and he had assisted her by knocking out the security guard who would have restrained her with his cuffs and putting him in her closet. At least, the guard would be out for a couple of hours: plenty of time to get out of dodge.

Unfortunately, Charles had forgotten the plane tickets he'd purchased, and he had to go home to get them. But now, they could celebrate! He could hardly wait to start his new life abroad. The broad shouldered aerobics instructor and exercise guru smiled slyly as he pictured her creamy thighs beneath him, her legs bringing her quivering body closer to his in a cornucopia of sexual bliss. Charles could also see the money they had agreed to split lining his pockets. He already had some key investments, as did she, lined up abroad. If all worked out, and his optimistic nature told him it would, they would live on Lex Luthor's "donation" for the rest of their lives.

"Syl, honey!" he shouted out. There was no answer.

_Probably soaking in the tub, _he thought. He trained his ears on the bathroom, but when he didn't hear any water running, Charles mentally mused, _that's odd._

For as long as he had known Sylvia, Charlie knew that she had certain rituals. She luxuriated in a bath around this time every night. Most nights she had been in the tub for so long that he would carry her to the King sized bed they shared and he would make love to her, her dripping wet body spurring him on as he licked her glistening skin.

Tonight, however, there was an eerie silence, like the stillness of death. Charlie called out once more as he walked toward the bathroom. He was about to check in when he saw Sylvia nestled amongst the white, fluffy cotton sheets she preferred.

"Ready for me, huh, baby?" he asked, his tone light and teasing despite the growing feeling he was getting that all was not right. Charles' long, brown fingers peeled back the covers as he nestled close to her.

A second later, he turned on the light in a panic when he felt her cold stiffness. Then, he gasped and cursed. Next to him, the body of his lover lay with her eyes open and staring up at the ceiling. Charles didn't disturb her as he took out his cell phone and, rising from the bed, called 9-1-1, his tearing eyes never leaving her.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the Watchtower's medical area, the Guardian spoke, his voice sounding like crunchy leaves. "Tell me how I can aid the one who has saved our lives a thousand times over," he told the heroes. Behind him, Supergirl was being briefed quietly by the Flash.

"Just getting a fellow Kryptonian here has helped tremendously," the Martian Manhunter said. "Kal El needs a blood transfusion if he is to live."

"Then, I will aid in that for now," the blue skinned alien said. He materialized a machine with two long, metal needles on it. They were attached to tubes which, everyone surmised, would be used for the blood transfusion. The Flash went next door to get some more Kryptonite liquid for the Martian to use on Supergirl and on Superman.

There was a bed next to where the Man of Steel lay. Kara got on it, ready to save her cousin. Without preamble, J'onn dipped the end of the metal tubes in the substance and placed one needle into Supergirl. Kara was surprised at how gentle the Martian was on her skin. J'onn injected the other needle into Superman's free arm.

"Atom," he said, "we are ready to begin the transfusion here. I presume you however must start your trip back?"

"As soon as I can," the Atom's voice ventured. "I'll stay here for now to make sure this works."

The Guardian materialized a mask over Supergirl's face. "Breathe, child," he instructed. "You shall need to be asleep for this critical operation."

Supergirl nodded, praying that she was not too late. Beyond everyone, the Batman stared at the Man of Tomorrow. There had been times when the Dark Knight had wanted to strangle his fellow Leaguer; so naïve and innocent was he, so opposite. But at times like this, all he could think about was how he couldn't stand to lose another person that he cared very deeply about. Batman quietly left the room, going outside to see what he could do.

He reasoned that the first thing he needed to do was to find out how Superman had gotten into this predicament in the first place. Batman wanted to question J'onn, since his analytical mind told the Caped Crusader that the Martian would have connected with Superman's mind to find out what had happened. But, the Manhunter was needed for his medical training. The Flash, who seemed to be assisting, was also needed to be on hand in case something was required that the Guardian could not provide. Besides, Batman preferred being alone.

He was about to teleport down to Gotham city to see what crimes he could stop there when he saw the Catwoman materialize in the hallway.

"Well," he said sardonically, "this is a first. In my wildest dreams, I never would have pictured you here." Selina faced the man who had broken her heart and let her bravado fall into place.

"I came to return Superman's teleportation device," she explained.

"He's unable to respond right now," Batman said gravelly, holding out his hand. Selina promptly deposited the instrument in it; then, she turned toward the room, taking in what she could. Turning back to the Dark Night, the Catwoman tried showing no emotions. From the way her jaw twitched beneath her mask, however, he could see her distress.

"Is he…?" she asked. "How is he doing?" The Batman caught the catch in her voice.

"Not well," he responded.

"On a scale of one to ten?" she wanted to know.

"Minus six," Batman told her. He decided to press her for information.

"Why did you take Superman's teleportation device?" he asked, sounding suspicious.

Selina caught the rebuke. But then, Bruce had _always _made her feel inadequate in comparison to him; or, her mind supplied, at least he was making her feel that way now. She didn't try to analyze when things had changed. Selina wasn't certain she'd like the answer.

"I had some work to do," she said simply. "There was a blonde assassin who did this to him. She had it coming to her." Batman crossed his arms and smirked.

"And so you gave it to her," he finished. "Why do I think there's more to this story?"

"Because there is," Catwoman agreed, feeling suddenly like a mouse in a trap. "The blonde is dead. She collapsed while we were fighting."

"You didn't finally kill someone out of anger, did you?" he asked.

"She was breathing for awhile; then, she asked for help, but before I could do something, she started turning blue," Selina reported. Batman considered that.

"As though she was fighting for air?" he wondered. At the Catwoman's nod, Batman realized this was the break he had been looking for. He needed some action so that he didn't have to stand around waiting to see if Superman would recover.

"After that," Catwoman went on, "she died." Batman whipped out his teleportation device.

"Where was she when she collapsed?" the Detective asked. Catwoman gave him the location.

"Grab onto my cape," he ordered. "We'll see what we can discover about how she died."

Catwoman clutched it. Batman keyed in the woman's address, stating, "I know where _Metro Towers_ is."

"There's something else," Selina added. "She was dating Luthor when she bought it."

The Batman said, "Why am I not surprised?" He activated the device, and together, the duo teleported to Sylvia's apartment building. Batman pulled the Catwoman to the side to see what was going on. Together they craned their heads to look at the front where cops were trotting in and out, and Charles was telling them what he knew.

"I don't know why anyone would want to kill her," he said, the shock of seeing his deceased inamorato finally wearing on him. "She was fly, you know? And she had no enemies that I can think of."

One of the cops commented wryly, "obviously, she had _one." _

Charlie didn't register what the policeman had said. He was thinking how he could leave town. Sylvia's lover just knew this deal could go sour, and he had a pretty good idea who was behind it. At least, he conjectured, he was small potatoes to a man like Luthor. Charles Mason could disappear without too many fingers pointing at him, especially when they established that the time of Sylvia's death was way before he had arrived.

"If you don't need me…" Charles began. A policewoman fished out a card and handed it to him.

"Call us if you remember anything else," she told him. Charlie nodded, thinking about his sister's place in Boca Raton. When he got into his car and drove off, Batman swung high above him. Selina stayed behind to see what she could find out.

"We've got something," one detective said. Another reported that the ambulance was pulling up. Still another carried a box filled with some of Sylvia's things, including the briefcase, her lipstick, the knife, and the perfume bottle she had used. The items inside had the remnants of fingerprint dust on them.

"What've we got?" a policewoman asked.

One of the cops went inside to assist the ambulance driver who was wheeling in a stretcher. Another policeman reported, "this." He held up a single, navy colored fiber. Although Selina could not see it clearly from her hiding place, she could guess what the cops might have found.

_Out of the frying pan…_she thought. She left the scene of the crime and when she was far enough away, the Catwoman disappeared into the night.

XXXXXXXXXX

Very late that evening, Selina received a visit from the World's Greatest Detective.

"So, what did you find out from lover boy or the police?" she asked.

"Enough," Batman reported.

Selina bounded from her bed, her costume still in place. "Don't give me that!" She snapped. "It's my ass on the line, here! I just _know _they found something that can be traced back to me."

"Perhaps," the Caped Crusader said. He held up a slide.

"What's that?" Selina wondered. In a rare turn, Batman smiled.

"Proof of your possible innocence," he said. "Follow me." Together, the Bat and the Cat walked to where the Batmobile was idling.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN, STEEL THY HEART

**A/N: Because you demanded it, Superman has finally recovered. There are some guests who are in this chapter, too! Not much in the way of action; just advancing the story at this point. Thanks to all; you made some very good suggestions! I can't say I will use every one, but I am reading your comments, and I can safely say I will try to use as many as I can! Read and review.**

Batman and Catwoman returned to the Watchtower in the morning. Selina yawned and stretched, earning a glance from the Dark Knight. Wonder Woman caught the exchange as she passed them in the hallway on her way to breakfast.

Glaring, she said, "And where did you two go last night while Superman was incapacitated?"

"Oh," Catwoman said casually, "we just had a night on the town."

Selina loved baiting women who seemed to be interested in any men she was interested in, or was _pretending _to be interested in. The Mistress of Cats had wanted to get even with the Amazonian Princess ever since she had heard about Batman and Wonder Woman. Now, though, she found that it held an empty victory as she saw the anger in the other woman's blue eyes.

"Nothing happened," Catwoman said; then, when the Princess crossed her arms, she said with more force, "_nothing happened! _I'm not the kind of cat who steals another feline's chew toy!"

Wonder Woman sputtered a little, but then calmed down. It would not do, she decided, to let the other woman upset her. She could rise above this, and she would, as she fortified herself with a nice, hearty meal. She would eat, she would wait until the best time to have sharp words with Bruce; _then_ if she wanted to be irate, she would do so. Firmly resolved, Wonder Woman went to the cafeteria.

Selina walked in the opposite direction toward the medical area. Batman silently walked behind her. When she started to go in, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into another room.

"What gives?" the Catwoman asked.

"You tell me," Batman said. "What was that exchange all about? Why didn't you tell her the truth about Sylvia Summers?"

Selina threw him an incredulous look. "Oh, come on now!" She shouted. "She wouldn't believe me! She thinks I was having an affair with you!"

"And, you let her think that instead of telling her what we were really doing," Batman countered. When Selina crossed her arms and pouted, the Batman asked, "why?"

"Because six months ago, she stole you from me!" Selina accused. The usually unflappable Caped Crusader's twitching mouth revealed his annoyance.

"She didn't steal me from you!" Batman snapped. "I went to her." Selina's mouth hung open, as Batman explained, "You got too close, and she was a friend who listened to me. I'm not great at revealing my more tender moments, as you well know. But when I told her about us, about you and your…obsession with me, Wonder Woman listened to me, and she was able to give me what I needed more than anything: space. We went out as friends; then, one thing led to another…."

Selina pushed him so that he slammed into the corridor's wall. "And you _slept _with her while you were _dating me?!"_

Batman shook his head, saying, "No, we didn't take things that far. We just held hands, and we did kiss one time, but that was _all."_

Selina tried to process that information. Okay, so Bruce wouldn't lie about how far he took things with Wonder Woman, and the Catwoman was happy that he didn't have sexual relations with the Amazon, but she was still angry about the fact that he saw her at all behind Selina's back. The Mistress of Cats studied the Master of Bats just then and came had an epiphany. She realized that she did not love Bruce. Oh, she was still affectionate, and she was territorial, in part because she was just so used to the idea of him. But Selina did not love him, and she had not for a long time. Bruce was the fantasy: a Knight in a dark tower who would court her, and would pretend to cherish her, but who got on his high horse and went to another damsel in distress when it suited him. He never bestowed his heart, and woe to any woman who tried to secure it.

The Catwoman breathed a soft sigh of a woman who just came face to face with the truth, and who was finally okay with it. She caught a glimpse of the Man of Steel beyond the entrance to the medical area, and she knew without a doubt that she wanted to see if maybe, just maybe, he was the ideal man for her.

"Well," she said, sounding almost relieved, "I guess it's over."

Batman didn't show it, but he was confused. Had he won the overall game with Selina that men and women played in affairs of the heart, or had he lost it? "I guess it is," he said finally. Before she walked inside the room, she heard his voice.

"Superman and I don't always get along, but he is important to me," Batman said, punctuating his next words. "Stay away from him, Selina. He doesn't know you like I do." He walked away from the sick bay area.

Selina wasn't angry at him. The Batman couldn't be anything more than who he really was, after all. She walked into the sick bay where Supergirl was reading the latest _Teen Scoop _issue.

"Is he all right?" she asked. The Girl of Steel wasn't repulsed or upset that the legendary Catwoman had chosen to ask. She took in Selina's appearance with aplomb. Kara had some unusual friends. Why shouldn't her cousin be the same?

"He' s recovering," she said. "I understand that you stayed with him when he was sick in Luthor's bathroom."

"Yes, I did," Selina told the teenager. Supergirl smiled.

"That was way cool," she said. "Did you want to see him? He'll be up and about in a few minutes. Once the Kryptonite's gone, it doesn't take long to heal."

The Catwoman looked over to the superhero. There were things she wanted to say, about her sudden feelings for him; about wanting to get closer to him as a friend, and even about her and the blonde. But as she heard some other heroes approaching the medical area, Selina decided that she didn't want to talk to Superman with his colleagues around.

"No, that's okay," she said. "He knows where to find me."

Supergirl hastened to assure her. "Don't let these yahoos intimidate you," she said. "They'll keep their opinions to themselves if I tell them."

Catwoman was pleased that Supergirl was going to stick up for her, but she didn't necessarily want the younger Kryptonian fighting her battles.

_Besides, _she thought as she decided to keep his teleportation device a little longer as an incentive for im to visit, _it'll be fun seeing him again! _

"No, but thanks just the same," Selina told Kara. "I think I'll just go. I'll talk to him later."

"Okay," Supergirl said. Selina left the room and went into the corridor. When she glimpsed the young Captain Marvel rounding the corner with Nightwing, she teleported away.

By the time the superheroes came into the medical area, Kal El was sitting up.

"Hey!" the newly elected Captain Marvel exclaimed. "He's awake!" His tan hand reached out to shake Superman's.

"How're you doing, pal?" he asked. Superman was glad that this Captain Marvel, (known in his off hours to some as Fred Freeman,) was much more congenial than the original. His hazel eyes met Supergirl's and they acknowledged each other. The Man of Steel didn't miss the exchange. He decided to have a little talk with the young, sable haired superhero concerning dating his cousin soon.

"I'm fine, and ready to be out of here," Superman said.

"You might have to talk to the warden about that," Nightwing joked. Just then, the "warden", otherwise known as the Atom, came into the room.

"Well, well, well," he said to Superman. "I see you're up and about."

"And ready to be released," the Kryptonian male told him. "My healing ability's much faster than most people's, remember?"

After saying "excuse me", to the other heroes, the Atom looked at the medical data. He pulled out a stethoscope as the others watched and listened to Superman's heart. "Heart like a hammer," the diminutive superhero reported, "blood pressure normal, radiation levels: non-existent, and…" he paused.

"How are your strength, vision types, and your other abilities?" he wanted to know. Superman floated a few inches off of the bed and then stared at the ceiling. The heroes eyes drifted to it. They saw a tiny burn mark on it. Then, as they looked back to the male alien, Superman took part of the metal chair with bars that was by his bed into his hands with ease and bent the chair down slightly. Then, he bent it back into its original shape.

Raising his brow, the Man of Steel asked, "convinced?"

"He sure gets _my _vote," Captain Marvel commented. Nightwing nodded his agreement. Supergirl gave him a thumbs-up gesture.

The Atom sighed. He always liked keeping patients for further study of their anatomical structure, but he knew Superman couldn't stay there forever.

"You'll promise me to look after yourself?" he advised. "I don't want a repeat of this sort of thing."

Superman said, "I can promise to take care of myself. As for the rest, that's in the hands of Fate."

The Atom suggested to the other heroes, "perhaps we should brief the others on his condition."

"Sounds great!" Captain Marvel shouted. He and Nightwing left with the Atom. Supergirl hung back for a moment. Her blue eyes were still slightly concerned.

"You really will be careful?" she asked. "I mean, if blondie is out there still, she could use the same stuff on you again if she finds out she didn't finish the job."

"I don't think that'll be an issue," Superman said. "But I'll coat my costume with lead dust this time."

Supergirl seemed satisfied. Her cousin changed the subject as he rose from the bed and, crossing over to a panel, changed out of the medical robe he was in and put on his regular costume.

"So," he said as he threw on his cape, "Captain Marvel, eh? Thought you were dating the Flash."

He came out from behind the panel in time to see Supergirl smiling slyly. "Oh, cuz," she cried, "how can you be so last summer? The Flash was last year! He was okay; we separated as friends, but Freddie is _so _much more mature!"

_Freddie, mature? _Superman thought about the teenager. Oh, the nineteen year old man was a nice guy, he thought, and the second Captain Marvel was a gentleman to her, at least when he saw them at Justice League functions, but mature? Kal-el decided he would reserve judgment on that.

"You'll be careful?" Superman asked.

Supergirl rolled her eyes, but said, "Yes, I will. I promise not to sleep with him until I'm at least thirty."

Superman teased, "Thirty-five." Supergirl leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. She loved her cousin so much, and his concern was great, even if it could sometimes interfere with her social life.

"You'll also be careful with the Catwoman?" she asked. Superman was astonished.

"How do you know about…?" he asked.

"She was here," Supergirl reported, shrugging. "And she seemed anxious about how you were doing."

Superman murmured, "I'm anxious about her, too." He felt inside of his cape for his teleportation device, but after a moment, he came up short.

"Do you mind if I borrow your teleportation device?" he asked Supergirl. She frowned, but handed it over, inquiring what happened to his.

"I'm not sure," Superman said, though he knew exactly who had it since he'd heard her muttering that the blonde would pay for her crimes.

"Oh, well, I'm sure it'll turn up soon," Supergirl said, none the wiser. She paused for a moment before walking out of the medical room.

"I think you both would be good together," she commented. "Go for it." Supergirl flounced out. Superman chuckled, shaking his head back and forth.

_She must get it from Ma, _he thought. He programmed in his apartment building, and seconds later, found himself inside the lobby. After opening his door, Superman changed clothes and went to work. When he started typing the articles he planned to write that day, Clark thought about what to do concerning Selina.

XXXXXXXXXX

That evening, Catwoman had peeled out of her costume and was doing her hair when she heard a knock at the door. Hoping Superman had come to call, she said, "Hang on a minute!"

She ran past her pets into the bedroom and threw on a silk robe of midnight blue trimmed with emerald. Selina opened the door to Clark Kent. He was holding up some flowers—tiger lilies—and he was dressed in a golden shirt with a black jacket and taupe hued pants. His tie, a black one with gold diamonds on it, complemented his suit perfectly.

"Hi," he greeted. Selina stood with shock in her eyes. Why was Clark there, and why did he have flowers in his hand?

"Hello," she said. Clark looked at her with his deep eyes.

"May I come in?" he asked. Selina opened the door wider. Clark strolled in, the flowers against his side.

"Were you getting ready for bed?" he asked. Selina looked down at her robe, then up at the journalist, who seemed to be saying something provocative behind that simple question.

"No, this is more of a lounging robe," she responded. "Why are you here?" Clark held up the lilies again.

"Special delivery from a mutual friend," he said. Selina took the flowers and went to her kitchen, selecting a vase for them.

"Tell him I appreciate the gesture," she said, running some water into a brown, tortoise shelled vase, "but he could have had them delivered by a _Metropolis Florist _person, or he could have brought them, himself." She turned off the water and put the flowers on top of a cabinet where the cats couldn't reach.

"Well," Clark responded, "he wanted to come, but there were Justice League things, and other missions. You know how it is."

"Couldn't tear himself away from a mudslide in California, right?" Selina asked, her voice containing not even the slightest bit of disappointment.

"Something like that," Clark answered. "So, I volunteered."

"For what exactly?" Selina wanted to know.

Clark looked into her emerald eyes and said, "How about dinner?" The Catwoman thought about Clark's offer and considered her response.

A moment later, she ran her tongue over her lips, saying, "Give me time to change." Selina ran inside her bedroom while Clark waited. He grinned, glad that he had decided on his course of action.


	15. Chapter 15

STEEL THY HEART CHAPTER FIFTEEN

**A/N: At long last, Selina and Clark go on their date, and a third party reappears. I found out that the name of the Smallville football team was the Crows, so I used that. As far as Clark's opinion/account about him and sports, that is from the movies. Please read and review.**

The last remnants of rain trickled down outside Selina's window in her bedroom as she put her perfume and some powder on. Clark waited in her living room, fighting the urge a second time to take a clandestine peek with his x ray vision at her through the closed door.

"So," the Mistress of Cats asked from behind its other side, "tell me why he couldn't come."

Clark looked at an issue of the _Gotham Times _and said, "something about a 777."

At least that had turned out to be true. Clark, or rather Superman, had saved several passengers earlier that night before flying off to change for his date. They had been returning from Paris when engine trouble made the plane go into a tailspin. Superman had grabbed it and he had brought it to a screeching halt on the tarmac at Metropolis International Airport a little over an hour ago. There were only minor injuries as the passengers disembarked, he had noted, and before the press could secure an interview, he had gone off to his desk at the Daily Planet to type up the headline at super speed before heading home.

"The 777 that was on the evening news?" Selina's muffled voice asked. Behind her door, she put on her black slip.

"Yes," Clark said, loud enough for her to hear.

"That's great!" She exclaimed, putting her dress on over her head.

"But you still wish he could have come, right?" Clark guessed. Before he heard her mumble a reply, he added, "sorry to disappoint you."

"No problem, Mr. Kent," Selina said, slipping on her pantyhose. Satisfied, she put on her earrings.

"If we're going out, don't you think you ought to call me Clark?" the shy journalist's voice invited.

Selina agreed, "Clark, it is. So long as you also call me Selina."

The mild mannered man put down the newspaper and settled back on her couch. A female cat jumped on it beside him. She started sniffing him.

"Smell something you like…" Clark started asking the Persian cat when he caught a glimpse of her collar, then said her name. "…Lady?"

Lady meowed with delight. Another cat, this one larger and covered with black fur, jumped on the other side of the couch. Clark saw that his collar indicated his name was Bruce.

"Figures she'd have a Bruce," he commented, stroking Lady's fur and then Bruce's.

After checking on her hair, Selina put her raincoat on over her wrap and placed her feet in some two inch pumps. One last check confirmed that she was ready to go wherever he wanted to take her. The Cats' Mistress grabbed her clutch bag and exited her bedroom.

Clark and Selina made their way to his royal blue Acura. Clark let the Mistress of Cats in the passenger side, and Selina fussed with her hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. Clark dutifully pulled out of the garage.

Selina peered at the road he'd driven onto. She saw the buildings with their clear windows reflecting the lights shining in the offices. They cast different colors, lighting up Metropolis like a Christmas tree. The Catwoman marveled at the enticing vista; in Gotham city, the buildings were a very dismal muddy brown, and the lights were dim in comparison to the brightness of the city that she now lived in.

_A girl could grow to like this! _She thought. Stealing a glance at Clark, Selina said aloud, "So, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Clark responded, waiting at a stop light. When the light turned green, he made another left turn.

"You're not even going to give me a clue?" Selina pressed. Clark shook his head, grinning a little.

"Nope," he answered. When he saw her frowning out of the corner of his eye, he said, "I'll make a deal with you. If you can tell me which state I hail from before we get there, I'll tell you where we're going."

"Okay," Selina said. She pursed her red lips in concentration. The soft spoken reporter sounded like he came from the middle part of the United States, she concluded.

"You're from the Midwest?" she guessed.

Clark praised, "very good! You know, it took Lois over a week to figure out where I was from. I'll bet you'll find my home state in no time!"

"Maybe, but there are a lot of states to cover from that region," she countered, "if I can ask some questions…".

"You mean, like playing twenty questions?" Clark queried. "I suppose that's fair."

"To start, are you maybe from Wisconsin?" Selina wondered. Clark chuckled.

"Too far north," he responded, driving onto an overpass.

"Oklahoma?" Selina asked. Clark shook his head.

"Not even close," he told her. "You're too far in the opposite direction with that one."

Selina concentrated some more. Remembering something Lucy had told her about a concert of Country Music that she had gone to in Brandon, Missouri, Selina brightened, suggesting the "show me" state.

"Hmm…" Clark mused, enjoying the game they were playing. "Missouri, you say? Missouri would _not_ be the state…".

"No?" Selina asked, slightly frustrated that she hadn't guessed the correct one.

"No," Clark responded. He drove off of the overpass and made a left.

"OK," she said, not willing to give up. "But you are from the central Midwest, right?"

Clark grinned. "Maybe," he said, not giving anything else away.

Selina put her finger to her cheek and considered the clues she had so far. He could be throwing her off a little, so she suggested Iowa and Wyoming.

"Iowa's too far East," he said, "and technically, Wyoming's a Western State. Even if it were part of the Midwest, though, that would be too far West." He stopped at a red light.

"Give up yet?" Clark asked. Selina shook her head. He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Not on your life," she said confidently. "What about where you were raised? Was it in a mountain community or a farm? And, if it was a farm, what type of crops grew there?"

"Mostly wheat," Clark responded. "And snaps for guessing that I was raised on a farm. You don't have much time, though. We're gonna be at the restaurant in less than fifteen minutes."

Selina would not be deterred. "What about the weather there?" She wondered.

"It snows quite a bit," he reported after a beat. "We're legendary for our blizzards. They can last for months at a time."

"Assuming you're not from Minnesota because that's still too far North, how about North Dakota or South Dakota?" Selina inquired.

"Good guess, but no cigar," Clark replied. He turned then got into his right lane.

Selina studied him, or rather Clark's arm, as he raised it to turn right. "You're taller and more muscular than you look, although you try to hide it. What kind of sports did you play in your High School?" She queried.

"Sports?" Clark repeated, slightly apprehensive.

He thought about Brad Thompson, the star quarterback at Smallville High, and his cronies. They had teased him mercilessly because Clark had been extremely introverted. Early on, the adopted alien had learned that he needed to pretend he was mild mannered, to say nothing about a terrible football player, in order to disguise his super strength. As a result, he had been the all around gopher and water boy to bullies like Brad. With the exception of Lana Lang, his first crush and best female friend, he had been tormented by their cruel jokes and slurs against his gentle nature.

It was that and other lessons in humiliation which made him decide that if he was going to be the Intoverted Man in life, Clark wanted people to accept him on his own terms. He didn't want Superman to be his savior, to be the one people gravitated toward simply because his other personality was the biggest, the strongest and more charismatic. He wanted people, especially women like Selina, to appreciate the wide eyed, sometimes shy human he actually was.

When he had done some investigating about Selina's nemesis earlier at the Daily Planet, he had decided that he would see which man she preferred. He hoped she would choose _him_ rather than his other hidden persona. Only time would tell. Selina looked over at him, waiting patiently.

"Well, let's just say I wasn't into sports," Clark responded. "But as a spectator, I used to watch our High School football team, the Crows."

"So you never played at all?" Selina queried. Clark replied in the negative.

Thinking about the name of his football team, and which state the Crows might be from, Selina saw that her time had run out when Clark's car stopped in front of the restaurant.

_Saved by the bell, _Clark thought, though he could tell that Selina was still thinking when he let her out.

"Time's up," he said. Selina looked at the maroon colored awning and thought, _oh shoot!_

"You win, I suppose," she conceded.

"It took a lot to say that," Clark mused. "I appreciate it."

Okay," she inquired out the window as he escorted her inside. "Where _are _you from?"

"Keep guessing," he advised. "I'll tell you later after we leave the restaurant." Selina followed him inside, and as they waited for their seats, she removed her raincoat.

What Clark saw took his breath away. She wore a dress of midnight blue silk that was much more simple in its design than the one Selina had worn to Luthor's party. It was sleeveless with a turned over collar at its top. Her pleated skirt fanned out, placing the emphasis on her hips. At the center of the outfit was a red belt accentuated with a silver belt buckle in the shape of a cat. Yes, Clark decided, he liked her simple outfit very much.

"You're stunning…" he breathed. Selina basked in his adoration.

"Thanks," she said. "You are, too." Clark looked down at himself.

"Really?" he asked shyly. "I'm glad."

_In fact, _she thought, _you look good enough to eat! _She didn't want to scare him off, so she asked,"Moroccan?" When Clark nodded, she added, "you surprise me."

The timid journalist responded by saying in a teasing voice, "Oh? You think that because I was raised on a farm all I know is corn and fried chicken, or something like that?" He looked at her with an amused expression.

Selina replied sheepishly, "Well...".

She stared at the homey, non ostentatious feeling of the place. The room had a high ceiling, with the walls painted in a deep rich green the color of grass. There were wooden benches for two or more with pillows which were richly designed with swirls and dark colors on them. In front of the benches were tables of brown non descript wood that were about three feet tall. A waiter came up and after handing them two menus, set them up near the center of the room. She looked at her menu. Clark glanced at his.

While the daters were making up their minds, they failed to notice another figure who was at a table in the back of the restaurant. As soon as the lone figure saw the reporter and his date, the stranger smiled. Fate had a way of solving the most difficult problems, like locating one's prey. Perhaps, the person thought as a second pair of green eyes studied Clark, there was a different way to show Selina Kyle that she wasn't safe other than a direct confrontation. The Catwoman's foe decided as the food arrived that the idea deserved the utmost consideration.

Clark signaled the waiter and gave their orders. While they waited, the other person punched some numbers into a cell phone.

"Hello?" the co-conspirator's voice came over the line.

"It's me," the enemy said. "I have spotted them. I think it's time that we taught a lesson to Ms. Kyle, one that she'll never forget." Securing the friend's assent, the adversary sat back and raised the cup of mint tea in a mocking toast.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clark dipped his fingers in the bowl the waiter had brought and then took a piece of lemon chicken in his hand. He popped it in his mouth, asking, "So what about you? Let's start with your hometown."

Selina ate an olive and answered, "There's not really much to tell."

"I can't believe that," Clark said.

Selina thought about her upbringings and sighed, saying, "It's not something I like to discuss."

Unbidden, Clark's hand reached across the low table to hers. "Does it have to do with your criminal past?" He asked sympathetically.

"I _said, _I don't want to talk about it!" She snapped. He simply stared at her, his eyes giving her a pitying glance.

"I won't press," Clark told her softly, "but it would probably do you a world of good to unburden yourself."

Selina looked away. She angrily grabbed a piece of beef dipped in honey and shoved it in her mouth. When the belly dancer began to shake in the middle of the floor, she turned her attention toward the nubile, young woman. Although Catwoman tried to pretend that it was the talented dancing of the woman before her that grabbed Selina's attention, she knew that was not the case. She would do anything to avoid discussing her past with Clark.

After all, it had been her past as a cat burglar which had cost her one relationship with Bruce, and if the mild mannered reporter knew about that, or about the secret she was concealing, he would stop being with her, and so might Superman. Selina would rather preserve the illusion of a perfect life with either Clark or Superman rather than have him judge her for what she had done.

Clark ate silently, chewing on his couscous. When the belly dancing show was over and Selina turned back toward him, he looked over at the young woman. A middle aged, swarthy man took her hand and led her into the back as the waiter removed Clark and Selina's main course and brought out some dessert.

"That's Sasha," the shy journalist supplied. "She and her husband own this place."

"Really?" Selina asked, following Clark's gaze even though no one was there. She was glad that Clark had dropped the subject of her past. She popped a date in her mouth.

"Her dancing reminds me of someone I saw dancing in a little café on the left bank in Paris," Selina supplied. Clark raised a brow.

"Are you perchance talking about the little café up the street from the tenth bridge?" he asked.

"Yes, the one that's not at Boulevard de Chardonnaze, but the one…" Selina started saying.

"…that's on Plaza de L'Amour!" Clark finished. "Or rather beneath it." The Cats Mistress was floored that he would know about the location. It was an underground restaurant that wasn't exactly easy to find. She thought a moment, then reasoned that perhaps Superman might have led him to it somehow.

"I know I shouldn't ask any more questions about you, but I was wondering…" she requested.

"About what?" Clark inquired, staring into her intense eyes.

"About Superman…" Selina wondered, "were you both close?"

Clark drew back. He knew it was crazy for him to be uncomfortable, maybe even jealous, of himself, but he had hoped to avoid the subject of the Man of Steel for one day. It seemed like whenever he was about to have a more meaningful connection with a woman, Superman always got in the way.

"Define close," Clark threw back, trying not to sound irritated.

Selina didn't miss a beat. "Are you friends?" She asked. "Were you raised together?"

"Yes," he answered, looking away. "We're quite close. As close as two men can possibly be."

The Catwoman arched a brow. She didn't know why he was upset all of a sudden. Her hand reached out to him. She stroked his large fingers, massaging him. Clark relaxed a little.

"I'm sorry," he told her, "it's just, well, people think I have the inside track on Superman, and I was hoping that I could avoid talking about him for one night."

Selina could sympathize. In the grand scheme of things, Clark must have a lot of resentment towards a hero who sometimes, without meaning to, stole the thunder out from under him. She sometimes felt that way whenever she put her Catwoman costume on. It seemed that the premiere jewel thief had stolen her life from under Selina. Her life could be adventure filled and fun, but it also contained a darker path, one that she found she wasn't certain she wanted to pursue that much anymore.

Selina gripped his hand tighter. "I'm sorry, too," she said. "How about talking about something else. I think I finally know which state you hail from."

Clark looked back at her and smiled. "Okay, guess," he replied. He signaled the waiter and paid the check.

"Kansas?" Selina asked hopefully. Clark's eyes twinkled. She knew she'd guessed correctly when he verbally confirmed her answer in the positive.

"Smallville, to be exact," he said. "Well done!" They got up and walked out into the cool night air.

XXXXXXXXXXX

When he pulled up to her apartment building and then walked her to her door, Selina fumbled for her keys. Clark waited until she turned back toward him; then, he started to kiss her cheek. The Mistress of Cats took the initiative and grabbed both sides of his face. She planted a scorching kiss on his lips.

"Wha…?" Clark breathed. Selina drew away slowly and unlocked her door.

"Just giving you a sample for later," she said seductively. "I really had a great time!"

Clark blinked rapidly. He felt his heart racing, and he could hear hers doing the same.

"I…_wow_…I," he mumbled.

"Perhaps we could see each other again sometime," she told him. It was a full minute before Clark realized he was all alone in her hallway. He thought about when he'd wanted Lois to kiss him the way Selina had and found his partner at work extremely lacking. In fact, he had never felt as though his heart was soaring even when he had been in love with Lois or Lana. He went downstairs in a daze, looking forward to seeing her again later that night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina closed the door behind the timid journalist and sighed. He sure had a sexy mouth, one _very _sexy mouth. Bruce had one too, but behind his handsome exterior were a lot of secrets and emotional baggage that, despite being with him for so long, she found confining. Clark was different. He had an innocence that she found refreshing. It was as if her heart had been in an emotional prison for so long, and the reporter bent down the bars to let her true feelings out for awhile.

She hoped that she would never stop feeling like that.

Selina was about to take off her dress when she heard a knock at her window. She drew back her drapes and opened her window to see the Man of Steel outside.

"Hello," he said cheerfully. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time."


	16. Chapter 16

STEEL THY HEART, CHAPTER SIXTEEN

**A/N: Thanks to all for your reviews concerning chapter fifteen. This chapter picks up pretty much where chapter fifteen leaves off as Superman comes to see Selina.**

_Selina was about to take off her dress when she heard a knock at her window. She drew back her drapes and opened her window to see the Man of Steel outside._

"_Hello," he said cheerfully. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time." _

"No, you didn't," Selina responded. She opened her window wider so that the Man of Steel could enter her apartment. He climbed inside and gave her an appreciative look.

"You're back, I see," Superman commented. "How was your date?"

"It went very well," Selina said, closing the slight distance between them. He saw the frown on her face.

"Do I detect a note of disapproval?" he asked.

She crossed her arms and her green eyes held damnation in them. She said, "You didn't have to send Clark Kent to show your gratitude or your interest in me! I imagine he must have felt very awkward coming between us. I should throw you out on your butt!" The Man of Steel was contrite.

"You're right. I shouldn't have sent Clark ," Superman started, not certain how he could escape his predicament. Perhaps his pretense, particularly with a woman he really did have feelings for, was not the best idea he had.

_Maybe I should just tell her, _one side of his mind thought. _No, not yet! _His other mind cautioned.

He took a breath before saying, "He owes me a dozen favors so I decided to…".

"Use him?" Selina finished.

"Believe me, it might seem that way, but it really wasn't like that," Superman replied. "Clark and I go way back, and I didn't perceive my asking him to take you out as using him, or you. I just didn't want you to be sitting all alone, waiting for me to come and being hurt when I didn't show up, so I asked him to cover for me until I could see you."

Selina pointed to the phone on her table and said sarcastically, "you know, there's a remarkable invention, which was created in the late 1800's. It's called a telephone. Have you heard of it?"

Superman could give tit for tat. He told her, "Yes, I have. The telephone was invented by several scientists and persons and it actually dates back thousands of years. There are some notable names attached to it, like Antonio Meucci and Philip Reis, to name a few. Alexander Graham Bell is credited with being the one to get the patent in 1876."

"Cute," she countered. "Did you memorize that from Wikipedia?" She folded her arms and walked over to her window.

Superman was angry. He had done his best to explain his actions, but Selina wouldn't listen to his side of the story. For that, he was irate.

"So let me get this straight," he said. "You'd rather I didn't save the passengers on the 777 in order to see you in a timely fashion? And you would have preferred I call you rather than letting Clark Kent treat you to a nice evening out?"

Selina felt instantly guilty. Although he hadn't done the right thing by involving another man the grand scheme of things, his heart was in the right place, and she couldn't help feeling a little guilty about accusing him. She turned back around.

"No, I wouldn't have wanted you to not rescue the people on the plane," she conceded.

"And I'm sorry I did what I did," he said. "I will use the telephone next time if I'm detained." Superman thrust out his hand, asking, "So, friends?"

Selina shook it, saying, "Friends." The cats meowed their approval of the pair's making up.

The Man of Steel chuckled, saying, "That makes it unanimous." He inquired, "To celebrate, how about a quick flight?"

"'A quick flight?'" Selina echoed. "With you, now?"

"That's generally how it's done," Superman replied.

Selina pictured soaring amongst the stars, seeing the lovely buildings of Metropolis up close. She knew she couldn't resist. "Will I need my coat?" She asked.

"No," he answered, pulling out a box from her balcony, "but you might need these." Selina opened it and saw two white space suits. She peered at him and raised a brow.

He told her. "We'll need them for the trip we're taking."

Intrigued, Selina slipped into the suit. Superman did the same. He helped attach her helmet to her suit and put on his. When he had secured the zippers and buckles, the Man of Steel scooped her in his arms and flew out the window.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The killer phased through the door to the victim's apartment. Withdrawing the instrument of destruction from a pocket, the annihilator glanced around. There were many places to hide the device. Finally locating the perfect place, the enemy set it and smiled.

_Time to die, _she thought evilly.

Fazing back through the front door, she left the apartment. As the individual phased out, a wave of euphoria gripped her. A moment later, however, shakes and a cold sweat followed. The killer knew that more of the chemical which had become a lifeline was required. The feeling would pass, and all would be right again. She would pay a visit to Luther Corp., the new home of the Phaze drug, and the villain would help herself to the miracle medicine. She waited for the symptoms to abate then headed to the lab.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Superman flew Catwoman to a private airstrip outside of Metropolis where the Javelin, the ship the Justice League used, was docked. He placed her on the passenger side of the giant, oval vessel, its silver wings in the back reflected by the light of the moon. Reaching inside the pilot's area, he programmed the coordinates he sought.

"This is one of the many ships we use in the League to fly out into space," he explained, giving her its name.

"You can't fly us there without one?" Selina asked. Superman shook his head.

"I'm not able to sustain enough oxygen necessary to breathe out of Earth's atmosphere for long periods of time," he confessed. "Besides, even if I were, you wouldn't survive."

He saw her teasing expression as she remarked, "I understand my situation, but I thought you were indestructible."

"Many people make that mistake," Superman told her. He strapped her in and, after checking her suit then his, proceeded to give the ship a tremendous push and sent it hurling into the vastness of space.

Selina's eyes grew wide as she saw stars whizzing by at supersonic speeds. Even more amazing to her was the fact that she wasn't dizzy or lightheaded. Letting himself inside, Superman checked the display panel and after a moment adjusted the controls so that his passenger would be comfortable in view of the rapid changes in gravity and pressure.

"Are you OK?" the Man of Steel asked.

From behind her helmet, Selina managed a quick, stiff nod. When he was satisfied, he turned the controls and headed for the moon. When she saw where they were going, Selina recalled what she'd read about how long it took for astronauts to reach the moon. Generally, it took at least three days. With the Javelin's unprecedented speed however, it seemed like mere minutes were passing by. When the surface of the moon came in range looking close enough to touch, Superman released her from her chair and flew with her outside, letting the ship land in a small crater.

"This is a view very few get to ever see," he said. His arm fanned out as he directed, "Look…".

Selina saw craters larger than the biggest football fields on Earth. They were a brownish grey and, like the pictures she'd seen in documentaries, were crusty and round with jagged edges. She wondered suddenly what Isis , her premiere cat, or all of the others, would think if they could be here in a space station or something.

_They'd probably all go crazy! _She thought.

There was an eerie silence, though, that she knew her cats might have welcomed. It was downright refreshing and a welcome change to the bedlam of noise that Gotham and Metropolis provided on a daily basis. Standing next to her, Superman looked like he was in awe of the heavenly body they had landed on.

"One step for man, one giant leap for man and womankind," he breathed. "I always wanted to say that!" He looked as much as he was able toward Selina and asked, "Are you still all right? You're not dizzy or lightheaded, are you?"

"Goodness, no!" Selina exclaimed. Unable to contain her excitement any more, she wrapped her huge arms around him and hugged him. Superman returned her embrace.

Selina broke off a moment later, shouting, "I can't believe it! The moon! We're actually _on the __**moon!" **_The Man of Steel grinned.

"You said that already," he joked. He gestured for her to follow him. Under her watchful eyes, Superman leaped from a smaller crater to a larger one not too far away. Selina followed in his footsteps, feeling for all the world as though she were jumping on a trampoline.

"Gravity on the moon is only about 17% in comparison to Earth," he said. Selina smiled, thinking about all the women she knew that constantly complained about their weight. If they could come up here and leap like this, they would never again worry about that little detail!

Superman's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Don't leap too high or too far," he cautioned. "You might fall off of the surface."

Selina gulped, then said, "Thanks for the warning. I won't overdue it."

They jumped for about 45 minutes, each trying to out distance the other. When she started taking deep breaths, Superman took her hand and pointed straight ahead. There, nestled like a precious jewel amidst the black velvet of space, was the Earth.

It sported a semi-circular configuration at that angle, with white swirls atop blue, black and green. It was the blue that was the most dominant color. Selina knew that the royal color was the Earth's oceans, and the green were the masses of land. The planet looked as though it was standing still, but she knew that the Earth continued twirling and spinning. She never thought that she could get enough of this view of her planet.

Superman said in a reverent voice just then, "Sometimes, I take the Javelin and come out here all by myself to see my second home."

"Do you come out here often?" Selina wanted to know. "Do you land here after you've saved someone?"

"No," the Man of Steel replied. "I come here mostly when I've had a frustrating day after fighting off one of my many enemies or the government officials who want nothing more than to bury me alive in a Kryptonite tomb!"

Selina was shocked by his confession. She would have thought that he would come to celebrate, congratulating himself on a job well done, but not when he was angry or frustrated. Her eyes fell on the Earth once more as she heard him speak again.

"See, sometimes when I'm faced with enemies like Darkseid or Mongul or others who could literally kill me with a force beam without breaking a sweat, or when I see humans at each others' throats and I know I can't do anything about it, I fly out here," he said. "When I see the Earth like this, after a trying day, I see how innocent and pure it looks and I remember why my job is so important, and why preserving humankind just as it is is so vital."

Selina thought about how he viewed the Earth. She could sympathize with Superman, having to keep his powers constantly in check. She wondered what it would truly be like to have his godlike powers. He could have, if he'd wanted, destroyed everything or subjugated human beings to his whim, like the ones he fought. But, she supposed that when he saw the planet from this view, all of the petty insecurities people had and the squabbles they got into melted away to reveal the goodness and decency inside.

"Do you ever regret it?" Selina asked suddenly. The Man of Steel's helmet turned as he regarded her.

"I mean, if Krypton were here, if your planet had survived, would you have returned forever?" She wondered.

Superman considered her question. He had gone out in search of what he'd thought was Krypton, and he had wondered what it would have been like to stay there permanently if he'd found something significant. When his search had proven fruitless and he'd returned to Earth, he had come to the conclusion that he wouldn't give up the friendships he had with people in Metropolis and Smallville. He also wouldn't trade all of the experiences with the League as its heroes went to aid people. Blessed with a job that he absolutely loved, and the best adoptive mother in his life, he wouldn't trade his existence on Earth with a fantasy life with his biological family.

"Not for one moment," he replied honestly.

Selina was touched by his statement. Her hand reached out to grab his. When she saw him smiling back at her, she pulled him toward her then tackled him. Superman tackled her back and the two leaped and played for several moments. He had never felt so happy as he was now. Superman wished that he could stay on the moon for a long time, but he knew that his duty as Earth's protector lay ahead.

"We've got to go," he said reluctantly.

Selina pouted. She had really been enjoying herself, and the end of the trip was something she wanted to postpone as much as possible.

"Please," she begged, "just a few minutes more."

Superman melted at that sound of her voice. "All right," he said.

For the remainder of the time they were on the moon he talked to her about some stars which were actually planets. For another hour Selina absorbed every word. Finally, he put her back in the ship and both headed home.

He landed the ship on the far side of the airfield; then, before the technicians could get a good look at his date, Superman lifted her out it and once they returned their suits, flew her home. As he soared high above the clouds, Selina rested her head on his shoulder. He breathed in her earthy scent, thrilled that he'd made a favorable impression. At the same time, though, he started regretting having made that choice to take her to the moon. Would she, he wondered, think that the date with him earlier paled in comparison?

If she did, could he live with that knowledge and not be disappointed?

They stood at Selina's front door, each not knowing which move to make next. She had never been with someone like Superman before. With Clark , it had been easier. He was a mortal…a very _special_ mortal, but human nonetheless. But Superman was…well, _Super_man. What did one do with the Man of Steel, a man whose strength and power rivaled a god's? A being who could have any woman he wanted?

She seemed indecisive, so he decided for her. He leaned in and, with no holds barred, kissed her gently on her lips. After he pulled back, they looked into each other's eyes. Moments later, the spell was broken when his super hearing picked up a call for help. The Man of Tomorrow gestured behind him.

"I've got to go," he said reluctantly. "Someone's in trouble."

Selina said, a little depressed that he was leaving, "It's okay. I understand."

He caressed her cheek, suggesting, "So, maybe we'll see each other another time in the near future?"

Selina nodded her assent. Like a bolt of lightning, the Man of Steel took flight. She let herself inside, counting her blessings at having had two extraordinary dates in one night.

Tomorrow, she decided, she'd see who she liked more. For tonight however, as she prepared to go to bed, she'd bask in the attention and adoration from both men.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that night, the Man of Steel let himself into his apartment. He switched on the lights in his living room and started to change into his pajamas when he heard a ticking sound.

"Oh, my…" he started.

He trained his super hearing on the source of the ticking. There was a miniature clock that he'd gotten when he'd done a story on Germany 's nuclear arms deal. But it wasn't there. There was the radio he'd gotten when he had saved a dee jay from his cronies who were trying to kill Jimmy Cannon, the Metropolis Wiz. No results there.

The Kryptonian's eyes fell on the cabinet with his Kerth awards for outstanding journalism. From behind the third one, he heard an uncommon ticking. His vision pinpointed the location of the deadly device and the wires attached to it. When he verified that it was not linked to a mercury switch, he grabbed the small black ball after disconnecting it from the wires.

He flew out of the glass doors over his balcony and into the night sky. Without a sound, the bomb detonated, leaving soot on his costume and a slight tear in his cape. The Man of Steel frowned as he considered the deadly impact left in its wake. Obviously, someone wanted Clark Kent dead, but in such a way that had he not had super hearing, he would not have known about the bomb's presence until it was too late. He wondered if it could have been the enemy that Selina and he faced.

_But why would she attack me and not go after Selina directly? _He wondered. Unless, the bomber wanted to find a soft spot, something that would make the Catwoman suffer before the slayer murdered her.

He fingered the only trace left of the silent weapon: a small piece of metal with an inner round ring attached to it. His look determined, Superman flew to the one man who he knew could tell him more about it.


	17. Chapter 17

STEEL THY HEART

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

**A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter this time, but I'm doing other projects at the moment. This chapter starts to lay the foundation for who the villain intent on harming Selina and Superman is. The character of "the Chemist" is featured in the "Batman the Animated Series" episode "Batgirl Returns". His metahuman talent however, is something I thought up myself. "Sylemite" is my own name, however, the concept of "Silent Dynamite" was inspired by an Adam West Batman episode. Please read and review, thanks.**

**Disclaimer: As with any other publically recognizable characters, I don't own the Chemist. I'm just borrowing him, and I'm making no profit off of using him or any other characters (except Muggsy, who I created.) I also don't own any publically recognizable props. Those belong to 20th Century Fox, and the characters are DC Comics and Warner Brothers'.**

Batman returned from his nightly vigil and switched on his computer that evening just as he always did after patrolling. It had been a slow night, but he knew the criminals of Gotham city were biding their time and when they struck, he would be there to stop them. The shadow of his butler came up behind him.

"For once, it seems that the Fates have nothing planned for you, Master Bruce," Alfred commented.

Batman spun his chair around to face him. "I wish it were that easy," the Caped Crusader said. "Something will present itself. Something always does."

Just then his computer bleeped. "The mansion's security system," Batman told Alfred.

"Yes it appears someone is inside your humble abode," the butler said wryly. Batman activated the camera in his living room and, when both saw the intruder, the detective and his aide were surprised. Superman tended not to be a frequent guest.

"Alfred," Batman instructed, "go receive our guest." The butler went topside, disappearing up the stairs.

"Right away, Master Bruce," Alfred said. Presently, Superman came downstairs with Alfred leading the way. Batman didn't turn his chair around to greet him.

"Kent," he questioned, "to what do I owe this visit?"

_Good ole Bruce, _the Man of Steel thought, _never one for pleasantries._

Aloud, he said, "I have something for you. Hopefully, you're not too busy to study it and tell me more about it." Batman got up from his big leather chair and faced him. The Kryptonian tossed him a small, metal fragment. It was black and charred, with another smaller piece of metal inside. The Dark Knight studied his sometime friend, noticing the tear in Superman's cape and the smudges on his S.

"Who cleans your suits?" Batman asked sarcastically. Superman gave him a look.

"No one except me," he answered smoothly. "I figured you could get a sample from the soot on my costume and make an analysis along with the piece I gave you."

Batman retrieved a Q tip from his utility belt and took some residue off of Superman's insignia. Putting it on a slide, the Caped Crusader took the sample with the piece of metal to his microscope.

After the few minutes during which the Batman studied the items, he looked up and said, "I suppose I don't have to tell you that this and the soot are what's left of a powerful explosive."

"You don't say," Superman said wryly. A moment later, he told Batman in all seriousness, "I want to know where this particular explosive came from. It isn't a normal bomb."

Batman waited patiently for the information he knew would be forthcoming. "When I let myself into my apartment, I heard a beeping sound, like the counting down of a timer. Sure enough, it was, but when I found the bomb and flew out the window before it blew up in the sky, I didn't hear an explosion."

"How extraordinary!" Alfred exclaimed.

"You're sure your hearing's up to snuff?" Batman wanted to know. Superman nodded.

"My hearing's fine," he responded. He turned to Alfred, asking, "Mr. Pennyworth, would you humor me for a moment?" At Batman's curt nod, the butler agreed.

"Okay, go up the stairs into the living room and whisper something to your boss, if you wouldn't mind," Superman told Alfred. The butler went upstairs while Batman activated the recorder to capture the words.

Alone in the living room, Alfred whispered something. When he came downstairs, Superman remarked to Batman, "I didn't know that your King bat is named Oscar."

Finally convinced that Superman's hearing was fine, the Batman told him, "I name all of my bats…at least, the important ones I research."

_You really are crazy sometimes, _the Man of Steel thought, but he didn't voice his opinion. He supposed that it wasn't any more nuts than Selina naming all of her cats. The Batman typed in what little information he had about the metal shard and the soot taken from Superman's chest.

"I should have an answer within two days, maybe sooner," Batman promised.

"Thanks," Superman replied. "I really appreciate this. You can reach me here anytime." He gave Batman his land line number on a small piece of paper.

"Okay," Batman agreed, tucking the paper inside his utility belt.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Phineas Allbright's eyes lit up as he beheld the money inside the briefcase on the pool table. He was glad Muggsy Valentine had set up a meeting with him at the Gotham City Shoots and Ladders Club. The place looked like an elegant restaurant from the outside, but inside most of its regulars knew it as a place where some of Gotham's most questionable characters conjugated.

Allbright, otherwise known as "The Chemist", was one such character. By day, he was a legitimate chemist who supplied information to corporations like Wayne Tech and Luthor Corp. But by night, he created and smuggled high tech, chemically based weaponry to the highest bidder. The man known as the "little human rodent with beaver like tendencies" had a nose for sniffing out any chemical substance in some of the most exclusive weapons in the world. It was this talent, and his ability to produce such weaponry, that criminals and terrorists paid for and paid for dearly.

At five feet zero inches, Allbright seemed mild and unobtrusive to the world outside. Few knew how gifted he actually was. Even fewer knew that his gift was from having been born a metahuman. His face was triangular in shape and sported a very prominent, beak like nose. His eyes were dark and beady, and the huge black framed glasses he wore did nothing to soften his rough features. In the center of his small face were two prominent teeth which had a slight curve to them and which were shaped like a beaver's.

"Well…?" Muggsy asked, his square face darting forward to regard the Chemist. Allbright sniffed the compound the gangster's men had shoved across the table.

"You're in luck," the Chemist told them. "This is high primo, top grade nitro. It will fetch a great price in the black market. I can move this by tomorrow night."

Muggsy shook his head emphatically, saying, "What are you, _stupid? _I can't wait until tomorrow night! I need this to move later on tonight! The Bat has been sniffing around my operations and I've gotta get this away from me so that I come off as Mr. Clean, got it?"

The Chemist nodded, saying, "Very well. If this briefcase contains my price, which is double what we agreed, then I will move the merchandise and fix it so that no blame will attach itself to you."

Muggsy was satisfied with that. He plucked a group of one hundred dollar bills from the brown briefcase and told Allbright, "Three hundred thousand. That's three times the fee we agreed on to move the merchandise!"

The briefcase was shut and the men shook hands. Before the human rodent could take possession of it, however, there was a crashing noise from above. Where before there were pool balls and cues, now there was broken glass and the Batman. Crooks and other dishonest people scattered left and right in their haste to flee from the Dark Knight. The Batman fixed those who were scrambling for the exit with his penetrating stare. Allbright bolted from his seat and made his way toward the door but the Caped Crusader's arm shot out and grabbed the smaller human's.

"You stay," Batman commanded.

The Chemist's eyes widened. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down and he swallowed several times before gasping, "Wh-what do you want with me?"

Batman removed the metal shard from his utility belt and gave it to Allbright. "I want answers, now!" the detective barked.

The Chemist tried to be evasive. "I don't know anything!" he cried. Batman hefted him up and slammed him against the pool table, sending any remaining balls to the floor.

"Wrong answer!" Batman quipped. "If anyone can tell me about this explosive, it's you!" He shoved the Chemist into a chair. The smaller man fingered the piece of metal, putting it against his nose and sniffing.

Looking at the piece of metal, he noticed the inner piece. He ran the metal along his nose again, then a moment later, he straightened up.

"Ahh…" he lisped, "there's no doubt about it. The substance you're looking for is called 'Sylemite'."

"Sylemite," the Batman echoed. "I've heard of that. It's called 'Silent Dynamite', because it makes no noise when it detonates, functioning just like the silencer on a gun."

"Correct," the Chemist breathed tersely.

"Who makes this material?" the Batman wanted to know. The Chemist's eyes darted toward the exit once more. He knew though that the Bat would move way too fast and catch him before he could escape.

"Only a blessed few labs have the components necessary to make this stuff," the smaller man reported. "Wayne Tech, Luthor Corp., and Star Labs would be the big three."

Batman filed away those names for further research. He knew he could find out quite recently if any stock was stolen to make the Sylemite from any of those labs.

"Anything else?" the Dark Knight pressed. The Chemist nodded, sighing. While the Caped Crusader listened, the little man provided a name.

The detective's eyes narrowed. The Chemist ran away suddenly from the Dark Knight, only to be stopped by the police outside.

The name the little man had spoken of explained a lot. The Dark Knight went to his Batmobile and when he was safely belted in the driver's seat, Batman punched in a telephone number on the speakerphone.

"Kent," he said when he heard Superman's voice, "get Selina. Both of you meet me at the foot of Tutnam Road ASAP."


	18. Chapter 18

STEEL THY HEART, CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

**A/N: A slightly more sexual chapter, in which both sets of heroes discuss their feelings and their insecurities. I'm rating this R for the innuendo and a sex scene between two heroes. There are also more cameos in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any characters.**

**Please read and review.**

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Selina teleported up to the Watchtower. She had programmed the device so that the recall signal would take her back to where Superman was, or so she hoped. The Catwoman was grateful to Superman for showing her a great time, and she also wanted to give him his teleportation thing back. She had taken an inordinate amount of time with her costume, making sure that her grey one was clean and neat so that she would make a great impression.

Walking through the corridors, Selina paused to see her reflection in the shiny, iridescent walls. Her butt looked a little fuller, she decided. She had unwittingly consumed an unhealthy breakfast full of carbs just like she sometimes did when she was stressed. Selina decided that she needed some release in the form of exercise before seeing her potential beau.

It was pushing it, she knew, to even think about working out in the Watchtower's gym, but when she saw the equipment, she just couldn't resist. She was starting to work out on the balance beam when she saw Huntress and Black Canary walking in together.

_Busted! _Selina thought. The purple clad heroine and the blonde in fishnet stockings paid her no mind. Canary pulled her stockings further up on her shapely legs, prepared to do battle with her pretend nemesis. The Huntress cracked her gloved knuckles and flexed her fingers.

"I'm gonna _bury _you this time!" She promised. Black Canary gave her the finger.

"In your dreams!" the blonde snapped. They swung at each other before Huntress spied Selina out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey, Cat girl…" Huntress greeted. Selina forced her courage to the surface. She twirled her legs in the air.

"That's Cat_woman," _Selina said, to which Black Canary murmured, "didn't know she was a member."

The Huntress kicked Black Canary in her side which, had she not turned, would have been more painful than it was. Canary straightened up, her face scrunched up in anger.

"Don't get your undies in a knot," Huntress said. She huffed when Canary punched her in her midriff.

"Come, join us," the blonde super heroine invited.

"You want me to join you?" Selina asked, wondering why the two Leaguers weren't kicking her out.

"Hey, I've done some questionable things, and they voted me back in," the Huntress said.

"Besides," Canary chimed in as she took her turn on the balancing beam, "we heard about you and Supes dating last night."

"Tell us," Huntress said as she twirled her javelin, "just between us girls, is he a super stud in bed? I mean, did you two do the wild thang?" She made exaggerated movements with her stick resembling copulation.

Just then, Supergirl entered the gym. "That's my cousin you're talking about!" She said, adding, "besides, with him, there is no wild thing! It would just be the thing."

Canary stared them down, saying, "For God's sake, have a little modesty, and wait over there." She steered Selina away from them.

"Now, how's about you tell me what's going on," she said sotto vocce to Selina. "Did you make him meow, or what, honey?"

Selina couldn't believe her ears! The female Leaguers were worse than she was after a night of passion. She thought about the few times she'd bragged about her nights of passion with Bruce to her hairstylist, her analyst, practically anyone who'd wanted juicy details but who also could keep secrets.

"She's not gonna tell you _that!" _Huntress said, coming up between them.

"Last night I gave Freddie some action," Supergirl said not wanting to be left out, a dreamy expression in her eyes.

"Figured as much," the black and purple clad heroine said. When Canary stared at her, the Huntress shrugged.

"Hey, I know when a woman's been laid, or even just made out," she boasted. "When Q and I get together, it's like Fourth of July and Mardis Gras all at once!"

"Q?" Selina asked.

"Question," Supergirl supplied.

_The conspiracy theorist? _Selina thought. _That plate comes off? _There was no accounting for taste.

"You so do not know that!" Supergirl was saying to Huntress. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked Catwoman here what happened." She gave the older, grey suited woman a look before asking, "By the way, what _did _happen?"

"I only kiss and tell to my friends, and I don't really know any of you," Selina said matter-of-factly. Huntress gave her a knowing look.

"So, you didn't do it," she accused.

"I didn't say that!" Selina defended.

"So you did!" Canary said. Selina, for once, was between a rock and a hard place. She thought about how she should answer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Superman was walking toward the locker room to change before going to the gym. Arsenal, who was visiting Green Arrow, and Captain Marvel were following him.

"I mean, last night was great, really great…" the Man of Steel said.

"But…" Arsenal prompted.

"But what?" Superman returned.

Arrow looked at him, saying, "You have a 'but' written all over your face. What happened?"

"What happened is…I'm conflicted," Superman said.

"I don't get it," Captain Marvel said. "You had sex with her, and it was great, right?"

"No…" Superman confessed. "We just went to the moon, not to bed." Green Arrow looked at Superman as if to ask, _you're shitting us, right?_

"Just a minute, let me get this straight," Arrow said, "you and the Catwoman went on a date last night. You had this soft, nubile femme fatale in your powerful grip, a woman who's known the world over for making men as they cum roar like a lion in her oh-so-delectable ear, and you _didn't bang her?"_

"No," the Man of Steel said. When the others stared at her, Superman replied, "We only started dating. It wouldn't be right."

"Well, you've got scruples," Arsenal stated the obvious. "Major league stupid scruples, but hey, whatever floats your boat."

"But, you wanted to drop your ladle in her soup after you dated?" Captain Marvel asked. When the others groaned, the teenaged man said, "Hey! I was watching a Jim Carrey movie that had a line like that, so lay off!"

The other men decided to pass on that one. As they rounded a corner, Green Arrow asked, "So, why are you conflicted?"

Superman answered. "Weelll, I'm conflicted because she's dating another man and I don't know how to express how I feel."

"Who's the other guy?" Captain Marvel wanted to know.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, you're dating two men _at the same time?"_ Canary asked, incredulous. Selina nodded.

"Superman and Clark Kent," she reported.

"You mean he didn't tell…?" Supergirl asked before catching herself. She reasoned that if her cousin didn't want everyone to know his secret identity, she wouldn't spoil it by telling anyone anything.

"Didn't tell what?" Selina asked. Beside her, Canary and Huntress looked confused.

"Nothing," Supergirl said. At Selina's confused look, the Girl of Steel said, "I mean, he didn't tell you that you shouldn't date Clark, did he?"

"No," Selina reported. "In fact, he got Clark to take me out so that I wouldn't be waiting too long for him." She had a dreamy expression.

"That was incredibly sweet," the Catwoman said.

_Or incredibly pathetic! _The Girl of Steel thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Just a minute…" Green Arrow said, "you dated her as Clark Kent first, then as Superman, and you didn't tell her? You led her to believe that she's dating two men at once?"

"Yeah," the Man of Steel said. Arsenal thought, _okay…he's suffered one too many attacks on the brain with Kryptonite._

"Why on Earth would you compete with yourself?" Captain Marvel asked.

"Because I wanted to see who she would pick," Superman said. "Would she pick honest, shy, hard working Clark Kent, or would she go for superficial charms, like those in Superman?"

For a long moment, the guys didn't say anything. Green Arrow put a companionable arm around Superman and said, "Pal, we'll get you the best help imaginable!"

"I'm not crazy!" Superman exclaimed. "See, it all started with Lois…". The Man of Steel started telling the others about his history with his partner.

He finished with, "I want her to like me for me, not because of what I can do as Superman!" When no one said anything, the Man of Steel said, "It was an incredibly stupid idea, I know. It just seemed like a good idea at the time."

Captain Marvel frowned before saying, "There's only two scenarios here. You can either dump her graciously in both disguises, or tell her the truth and let nature take its course."

Arsenal put in his two cents. "Or, option three, say nothing," he said. "I mean, you've gotten this far. No sense upsetting the apple cart, especially since you've only just started getting to know each other. Why not see if she'll like either one of you before committing to telling her your secret identity?"

"No, no," Captain Marvel said, "honesty is the best policy."

"Just run with your gut," Arrow advised. "I always do."

"That's not your gut talking," Arsenal commented. The guys entered the locker room next to the gym. Question was coming out of a smaller locker room in his regalia.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"I've gotta break it off with one of them," Selina said. The Huntress put up a restraining hand.

"Hold on," she said. "You've got two cute guys lusting after you! It's a woman's dream come true, and you're gonna upset the apple cart because of what might happen? That's three shades of _stupid!"_

"Yeah, I mean, you don't even know what could happen," Black Canary said, winking at the other women. "You might decide on both." Selina didn't catch her telltale smirk.

"I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but…" Supergirl paused for a moment, gauging her words carefully. "If both are giving you the time of day, maybe you should go for it!"

"Yeah," Huntress said. "At least see how long their bananas are before tossing the branch to the ground."

"Jeez!" Supergirl exclaimed. "Your mind is in the gutter!" Black Canary glared at the Huntress.

"This from a girl who dates the ultimate walking freezer unit!" The blonde said disdainfully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the next room, the men heard the sound of the women through the vent. They paused for a moment to hear more of this conversation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Huntress crossed her arms, saying, "Believe-you-me: Q's staff is twice as long as your archer boy!"

"Oh, really?" Black Canary cried. "Well, Ollie's is longer when at attention!"

Huntress said, "But can he get it up in three seconds or less?"

Canary retorted, "I'll bet seeing _you_ everyday would cause his horsey to stay locked in the corral!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the other room, Captain Marvel snickered, placing a hand over his mouth lest the girls hear through the thin walls. Superman looked embarrassed. Question was postulating a theory about men's genitalia in general, and Arrow looked pissed and Arsenal looked amused.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey!" Supergirl said. "We're getting off topic here! Catwoman is trying to decide whether to date my cousin, or his…" Kara searched for the appropriate set of words, finally settling on, "…shy friend."

"There's only one way to settle this since my radar is telling me you haven't sampled his brou ha ha," Huntress said. "Did you kiss either one?"

"Superman kissed me," Selina said after a beat. The other women waited for more information.

When they didn't hear anything, Canary prompted, "And…?"

"It was fantastic!" she said.

"And what about Clark?" Supergirl asked.

Selina said breathlessly, staring into space, "I kissed him. It was…beyond anything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the other room, the guys mouthed a silent cheer. Superman grinned broadly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Catwoman continued, "But I still like Superman, too."

"Well, then, date him," Huntress said.

"But, Clark is the type of man I've always wanted to try," Selina said.

"Then, date him," Canary said.

Selina placed her face in her hands. "I dunno," she said, "maybe I need another opinion."

"Maybe you should test drive both," Supergirl said, "until you're absolutely sure. By then, you'll know if you like International, or domestic."

The women groaned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the adjoining room, Arrow was trying very hard not to laugh. Superman blushed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Supergirl shrugged, saying, "Maybe you should ask Wonder Woman."

Huntress snorted, saying, "Oh, come on! Miss High-and-Mighty snooty Princess? She'd probably wash our mouths out with soap for talking so dirty! Besides, isn't she having her own problems with Batman?"

"Where did you hear that?" Canary asked, interested.

"From Flash," the Huntress said. "He knows all the dirt!"

"Boy, is my old boyfriend ever ripe to be a gossip columnist!" Supergirl commented.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Huntress said. To Selina, she remarked, "do the ménage a trois. Work out that sexual tension. You'll feel better."

XXXXXXXXXXX

In the next room, Superman said, "That's it! We need to break this up, now." Before the others could restrain him, the Man of Steel walked into the next room. Green Arrow, Arsenal and Captain Marvel had their poker faces on. Highly amused and proud of the way Helena had defended him, Question smiled behind his face plate.

"Hello, ladies," Arrow said. "Been working out?" He gave Canary a leer.

"Yes," she said.

"Are you done or do you need more time?" Arsenal asked, picking up the slack.

"We're done," Supergirl said, casting a longing look in Captain Marvel's direction.

He came closer, asking her, "Would you maybe like to see a movie, then? That is, if you haven't any other plans?" His hazel eyes promised that they would be doing more than simply watching a film.

"I'll change," she said, leaving the room with him.

Arsenal asked, "Is Donna here?"

Canary answered, "I think she's visiting Wonder Woman in the cafeteria." The scarlet clad archer went in search of his wife.

Black Canary and Green Arrow exchanged hungry looks before Arrow said, "You know, I could do with a bite myself…". She smiled before they left the gym.

Question and the Huntress simply left, going into the room next to the locker room, which was the rec room. When the purple clad super heroine and the fedora wearing hero saw that the room wasn't occupied, he locked the door and punched the computer code in that would buy them extra time.

Huntress peeled back her mask, her dark eyes taking on a predatory gleam. She watched as he withdrew the spray can from his pocket that would remove his face plate. Plucking it from his hand, she sprayed his face lightly, then peeled it away, exposing his red hair underneath.

He grabbed her and hungrily kissed her. Slamming her against the wall, the Question dropped his pants, pulling away only enough for her to undo her costume. Once they cast off all their clothes, the man known as Vic Sage impaled her, delighting in her cries of ecstasy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alone in the gym, Superman asked Selina, "What are you doing here?" The Catwoman fished out the teleportation device and handed it back.

"I forgot to give you this the other day," she said. The Man of Steel nodded.

"Is that the only reason you're here?" he asked, his voice a little suggestive. Selina shook her head.

"No," she told him, at a loss for words. He was at a loss, too. Superman wondered just then if he should tell her his secret this early in their relationship. Selina wondered if she should part ties with the Man of Steel. After a beat, Superman decided that no, it was still too soon to tell her anything. Thinking that she still wanted to get to know both him and Clark, she gave him a tender look.

"I'm also here to ask if, maybe, you want to have dinner sometime?" she asked finally.

"How about dinner turning into lunch?" Superman suggested. "I know this place on the Big Island."

Selina thought about Hawaii. She smiled and said, "Why not?" Superman took her hand in his, and together, they teleported out of the Watchtower.


	19. Chapter 19

STEEL THY HEART, CHAPTER NINETEEN

**A/N: Superman and Selina go on another date and get back to the business at hand.**

As the huge island of Hawaii came into view, Selina told Superman, "I remember coming here, but it's been awhile."

They saw the lava rocks as they got closer to the western side of the Big Island. The town of Kahlua-Kona was one of Selina's favorite spots to be on whenever she visited. She loved the rock formations caused by the hardened lava and the craters there just as much as she had loved those on the moon.

The road the Man of Steel took them to was deserted except for a stray motorist or two driving by. Although Superman usually was noticed by people it seemed as though the drivers weren't stopping for his autograph or anything this time. For that, Selina was grateful. She had wanted to keep him for herself for awhile.

He brought her to a secluded spot where the road kept going higher and higher. Selina's brows drew together with confusion. Just how were they going to eat on the jagged stones? Superman looked at her, then smiled.

"Back in a minute…" he promised. The Catwoman stood on top of the rocks and waited. "A minute" proved to be more like thirty minutes.

When she thought about walking down the hilly area just to look for him, the Man of Steel set up a tent at super speed. Selina had to admit: she loved his ingenuity. Using his strength to secure the metal supports that would hold the canvas material in place, he motioned for her to wait again, then proceeded to fly in a fold up table and chairs.

By the time fifty minutes had passed, they were inside a small tent on the deserted Hawaiian road with a table, chairs, and a meal of Mahi Mahi, a fish known in that region of the country, and long grain wild rice with sparkling grape juice. Selina poured the juice into the collapsible cups and raised them in a toast.

"I'd like to propose a toast," she said. Superman was all ears.

"To the future, whatever it may bring," she said confidently.

He raised his cup and tapped it to hers, hiding the wave of insecurity. Superman wasn't sure if they could have a long term future together since superhero dating under intense or even normal circumstances was always short lived. Not wanting to ruin her happiness however, he repeated the toast.

Before they could get comfortable, he heard a call for help. Selina saw his jaw tense up.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned.

"Someone's in trouble," he said.

Not waiting for her response, Superman took off, streaking at breakneck speed toward the person needing aid. Selina didn't eat a morsel until he returned fifteen minutes later.

"That was quick," she said. Superman resumed his seat and placed a napkin on his lap.

"Small boat with engine trouble…" he said. "I got them to shore."

"Good," the Catwoman said honestly.

Though she would have given her right arm to have him all to herself, she realized that saving those who needed him was who he was inside, and if they were going to be an item, she had to get used to his disappearing. At least, having dated Bruce for so long, she was an expert in that department. Of course, with the Batman, she only had to compete with Gotham City; with Superman, she had to compete with the world. The Planet Earth was a harsh mistress, demanding his attention at all times, and lest she forget, there was another mistress, known as the Justice League.

Selina sighed, drinking some more juice. Superman was in the middle of eating a piece of fish when he stared at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

She looked at him and said, "It's nothing."

"It has to be something," Superman said. "Tell me." He drank some juice and wiped his oh-so-attractive mouth. She thought she could get used to seeing him wipe it across her lips again.

"It's just that I wish I could wrap you up and take you with me and never let go of you," she said. "But I'd be keeping you from saving the people of the world, and that would be incredibly wrong." She didn't cry, but he could see how sad she was.

Superman remembered Lois making the same argument, seemingly eons ago, when she had found out his secret identity and he'd had to change back from just being Clark Kent due to the red sun's energy to Superman once more.

_I am jealous when it comes to you, _she'd said with tears in her eyes, _jealous of the whole world._

His solution had been to make her forget his identity, even though it had broken his heart to do so. But Superman wouldn't do that with Selina. He wouldn't risk heartache of that magnitude a second time.

"You knew what dating me would entail, I imagine," he said evenly.

"Yeah," Selina said, sighing again. "I know what it's like. It's like being attached to a fireman, only more intense. I can accept that, but I don't have to like it."

His hand reached out to capture hers. "I don't like it either sometimes," he admitted. "But I can't just sit idly by with my abilities and do nothing."

"I know," Selina said. After a moment's pause, she told him, "I'm sorry. I really am glad for the moments we have, and I wouldn't trade a single thing for this."

Superman smiled. She was a rare woman, indeed. They finished the meal in companionable silence. During the time they'd been eating, Selina's thoughts had turned to the name Bruce had given them of the person involved in the Phaze incident.

Igor Shardov was one man she knew well. The Albanian had been at the forefront of every drug smuggling outfit from California to Budapest. He had also worked with many terrorist organizations, including the one she and Batman had stopped when they'd cornered Red Claw.

Red Claw had been at the top of the terrorist food chain. She was a formidable enemy who had been torturing mountain lions and committing all sorts of unspeakable crimes against the cats she was honor bound to protect for a viral plague which, had it fallen into her scarlet painted nails, would have destroyed not only the felines but all of Gotham city.

Courtesy of the Batman's and her interference, Red Claw was doing a comfortable stretch with maximum restraints. That didn't mean, though, that she wasn't running things from behind bars.

"Penny for your thoughts," Superman said.

Selina's musings turned back to her attractive male date. "I was actually thinking of the person or persons who brought us together," she said.

"Shardov," Superman responded bitterly.

He knew about the shady dealings of the man since he'd done an article about him with Lois that had pretty much wrecked his career as a smuggler. Never one to miss an opportunity to outdo Clark, Lois had snuck into the hideout Shardov used…and she'd almost lost her life. It had taken Superman to save her—again.

The story had been published and it had earned Lois another Kerth award and Clark a subsequent Kerth award for doing the backup story, but the cost of publishing said story had taken its toll on the superhero/journalist. Shardov had allegedly died in an explosion, which had been the only thing that had kept Superman from losing it completely and destroying the evil man. Now, the proverbial Phoenix had arisen from the ashes, and the search had to begin all over again.

Selina touched his arm and felt him shaking. When she looked up at the superhero, she saw barely controlled rage.

"What is it?" She asked, both fearful and concerned. Superman shook off his fury and his eyes met hers.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Shardov almost destroyed a friend of mine. It's still very hard to deal with. Sometimes, I just want…". He trailed off, unable to finish his thought. Selina grabbed his hands and squeezed them.

"I want him, too," she said. "But we've got to not let personal feelings do us in."

"Why do you want him?" Superman wanted to know. Selina shook her head.

"I…I'm not quite ready to talk about that," she said.

"I understand," Superman said, "I'm a stranger, and I shouldn't have asked."

Selina shook her head again and stood up from the table, saying, "No, no, it's not your fault. It's just…he was the one that was instrumental in causing a good friend of mine personal pain that she will have to deal with for the rest of her life! I want him and any of his associates to _burn!"_

Now it was Superman's turn to comfort her. He withdrew his hand and placed it on top of hers.

"Then, let's get him together," he said.

When she acquiesced, he got up from the table and returned all of the items to their shops or threw them away. Superman flew back, and took Selina to her apartment.

Later that night, after digging up what little information on Shardov that she could, Selina got up from her couch to answer the doorbell. She was pleasantly surprised to see Clark standing in the doorway, his presence a welcome distraction. He had two grocery bags in his hand and he put them down by the door.

"Hello," he said. Selina felt her heart skip a beat. In response to Clark being in the doorway, Isis, her grey cat, started going toward the reporter. Clark scooped her up in his arms. Isis meowed in protest, looking up at him with her big, accusing, yellow eyes.

"Sorry…" he said to her, pausing to ask Selina the cat's name. When she answered him, Clark said, "Isis. It's not a good idea to go out the apartment. Selina and I would miss you."

Selina smiled at that, especially the inclusion of her like they were a couple. She took in his black suit and frowned a moment later.

"Did anyone ever tell you you dress like an undertaker sometimes?" She asked.

"No, but did anyone ever tell you that you've got a very smart mouth sometimes?" Clark returned with bravado as he entered with his bags. Selina considered for a moment.

"Oh…some men have, I think, but then they kissed my 'smart mouth' into total submission," she teased. After setting the bags on the floor, Clark's hand reached out to caress her cheek.

"Let's see if that works for me," he told her.

He pulled her closer and then let his lips touch hers. Selina tugged at his tie until he was totally inside her apartment. Together, they found their way to her couch, kissing passionately. Clark broke away, knowing that he could never have enough of her sensuous lips.

"Your mouth…" he said, kissing her once more, "is like the sweetest honey. I can't stop."

Selina shoved her tongue inside his eager mouth and together, both touched, fighting for dominance. After so short a time, the Catwoman wondered what it would be like to bring out the lion in him. But, because she was still not quite ready to take things that far, she broke off from Clark.

"What are you doing here?" Selina asked. Clark retrieved the groceries.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said. "I was going to cook you dinner." Selina rummaged through both bags and then withdrew some vegetables.

"Vegetarian," Clark told her. "I was going to make some vegetable lasagna."

"You can cook?" Selina queried.

"Ma taught me how years ago," Clark answered. "She said that it wasn't always fair for a woman to do all the cooking." He proceeded to remove the pasta and tomato sauce. Walking into Selina's kitchen, he asked where her baking pan was.

"In the dishwasher," she said.

"Got it," Clark said. He got the pan out and started spritzing some cooking spray in it. Next, he placed the lasagna strips into the pan and set some frozen spinach and carrot pieces to boil.

Watching him move about her kitchen, Selina's thoughts turned to a fantasy of him as her husband, sharing his domestic chores with her. She shook off her thoughts a moment later. Sure, she liked Clark, but she wasn't quite ready to be committed to any one person. Wasn't that why she dated two incredible men?

Selina set the table with all of the necessary silverware, plates and glasses. She placed cloth napkins on the table beside the plates and asked if Clark needed any help with dinner.

"No, thanks," he told her. "But thanks for the thought. I'm gonna end up owing you later."

Selina pursed her lips, asking, "Why do you say that?"

Clark turned from his preparations to look at her. "I have some information about Shardov and his accomplice that dates back to a famous terrorist we both know."

Selina didn't quite know what to say, but she settled for nodding as she processed Clark's words. She thought about Red Claw and how she would make her pay when they clashed swords yet again with Shardov thrown into the mix.


	20. Chapter 20

STEEL THY HEART, CHAPTER TWENTY

**A/N: Just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my reviewers and readers for their insights and comments! **

**I appreciate each and every one of you, including Proponent of EVO, Ratdogwo, SamDanny4ever, Kairan1979, Tauvian, Spaniard, JNottle, SweetNJuicy XO, JOUNOUCHI sawa, BenderTheOffender, Mr. Crossover, asweetapril, Ardans, cabera1234, Thieje, HarimaHige, Sironblood 1, CMU, Kjun, and Captain Deadpool and Cherryll. **

**I am also appreciative of all who cited my story in an alert or as a favorite! If I left anyone out, it was not intentional, because **_**all of you**_** are precious in **_**this**_** author's eyes!**

**Anyway, enough sentiment…on with the story!**

Early the next day, Superman was working out in the gym in the Watchtower. He ignored the stares he got from his fellow heroes while he practiced flying maneuvers as he fought pretend missiles being launched. Some were giving him envious looks, others glared at him, and still others ignored him, just as they always had. Apparently, news that he was dating Catwoman had traveled fast.

The Flash was silent while he practiced running through some complex mazes the computer had set up. When he was done however, he regarded the Man of Steel. Although Superman didn't see the Scarlet Speedster's reaction, the Kryptonian could feel his eyes boring on him. Superman landed in front of him.

"What?" He asked. The Flash shrugged, but didn't respond.

Superman cried, "Okay, spill it!" He looked around at all the heroes who were in the gym and said in a slightly lower voice, "I know what you're thinking! I must be crazy to be dating her, right?"

"Actually," the Flash responded, "I wasn't thinking anything of the sort. If she makes you happy, then that's half the battle, right, Supes?"

Superman was astonished. He had expected Wally to be judgmental, the way the others who regarded the Kryptonian sometimes seemed to be; or to be mean spirited in thinking that he and Selina had already counted ceiling tiles, especially given Flash's propensity to be very vocal about sex in general and his own sexcapades. But the scarlet clad Justice Leaguer was not reacting in his usually exuberant manner.

The Man of Steel peered at him, asking, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

The Flash shrugged again. "Look," he said, "I can imagine what you're going through, dating the Catwoman of all people, particularly since people in Gotham, Metropolis, and Lord-knows-where-else know who she actually is. But if she is The One, who am I to criticize?"

Superman smiled. He started thinking that the Flash had a depth of perception that he rarely gave the Fastest Man on Earth credit for. Wally's eyes fell on the Dark Knight as Batman entered the room.

"Besides, I think you have a great deal more to worry about than a few of us acting all Fruit Loopy towards you," the Flash said as he left.

The other heroes gave Batman a wide berth. They knew that ever since the rumors had broken about Superman and Selina Kyle dating, there would be tension between Batman and her current boy toy. Although they wanted to witness first hand who would emerge the victor, one look from Batman had them rethinking that notion. Wildcat, Wilderbeast, Hawk and Dove left the area but went to a viewing screen to watch. Some braver heroes still remained inside, still hoping, rather than actually believing, that all of the equipment would escape unscathed and the Great War between Batman and Superman would never happen.

The Caped Crusader used his bat hook on the statue of a gargoyle and deftly swung from one building to another in the holographic city. Superman used his super hearing to ferret out an image of the Parasite's comings and goings. When he struck, Superman grabbed him before Parasite's hologram could touch him and rendered him unconscious. Batman fought the holograms of the Joker and Two Face before landing on the ground.

Once the hologram faded, Superman commented, "Isn't this a bit early for you? Farm boys get up with the chickens, not night heroes."

Skipping all preliminaries like he usually did, Batman said, "I knew you would be here at this time. I want to talk to you."

Superman sighed, saying, "Haven't we gone down this path before, Bruce?"

Batman responded, "I don't think you understand the personality of the woman you're dealing with. Selina may start out as a loving, caring individual, but when push comes to shove, she plays games with the men she's seeing intimately."

Superman crossed his arms, visibly annoyed as he said, "Yeah, well, I don't think she's playing _games _with_ me!"_

Batman looked at him with his usual emotionless stare. Inside, however, the darkly clad hero was not without a small trace of sympathy and, even though he didn't want to acknowledge it, envy.

"I hope so, Kent," he said, "I hope so."

The pity fueled Superman's anger. It took every ounce of self control to keep the Man of Steel from pummeling his fellow comrade.

"I know what I'm doing," Superman said with confidence he didn't feel.

"Do you?" Batman asked, disdainfully. "What do you think she'll do when she finds out about your concealment of your secret identity from her?"

Superman thought about that. He had thought about it long and hard lately. True, they had only been on a few dates, but each time they did things together, he wanted to confess everything. He felt so comfortable around her; each time they kissed, time, space and everything slipped away until there was only her. The Man of Steel didn't want to jeopardize that by revealing all to her. But he knew that he couldn't keep her in the dark forever, either, particularly since he knew deep down inside how he really felt about her.

"Oh, God…" Superman muttered softly. He knew that in such a short time, just as he had with Lois, he'd fallen…hard.

"Perhaps it's poetic justice," Batman commented, breaking into his thoughts. "You have your secret that you haven't revealed, but I'm sure she has one or two skeletons in her closet that she hasn't shown you."

The Man of Steel thought back to the Moroccan restaurant and their date in Hawaii. Both times, Selina had put off telling him about any portion of her past. He didn't want to use the Daily Planet's or his home computer's resources to find out about her. Superman told himself that when the time was right, Selina would share things with him. To that end, he felt compelled to defend her.

"Why don't we get to the heart of the matter, Bruce!" the Kryptonian yelled. Batman crossed his arms and faced down the larger superhero.

"Which is...?" asked the Caped Crusader.

"Oh, come on!" Superman accused. "A blind man could see it! This has nothing whatsoever to do with her and her secrets! You see me with someone; someone you no longer have and you're jealous!"

Inside, Batman felt white hot anger bubbling. Outwardly, he said flatly, "That is, of course, a lie. I don't care who you choose to feather your nest with. I'm just trying to tell you the truth about her."

Superman closed the distance between him, thrusting out his chin as he said defiantly, "That may be, but you also think I'm trying to take your woman from you, and"—he paused, jabbing his finger into Batman's armored chest as he punctuated his next words—"you .can't. handle. it!"

Batman pushed Superman away from him, practically snarling, "Don't _ever _jab me with your finger again!"

Although he pulled his next punch, the Man of Steel pushed back. "You didn't deserve her!" He yelled.

Like he had when they'd first met at the club in Metropolis, Batman threw Superman across the room. "And, you think you do? You believe you're man enough for her?" Batman asked. "She'll use you up then cart your heart off like freshly killed game! To her, you're an insignificant mouse!"

Superman saw red as he said, "_What?_ I am not a _mouse!_"

They grabbed each other then, tossing each other on the mats in the room. In between grunts, Batman said, "But you're certainly not man enough for her!"

Superman returned, "Who are _you _to judge? If you couldn't keep her, that's not _my _problem!"

Batman tossed him again, this time out of the room so that he smacked upside down against the wall in the corridor. This event did not go unnoticed by other heroes walking toward the gym or to another destination.

"Fight, fight!" A Brazilian hero said.

Elongated Man, Captain Marvel and visiting Green Lantern Kyle Rayner saw Superman get up and return to the room at super speed. Inside, Batman assumed a Ninja like defensive position. J'onn J'onzz and the other Green Lantern John Stewart stopped short as they saw both combatants. Wonder Woman, Fire and Vixen couldn't take their eyes off of both men. Diana felt her eyes misting over with tears but she quickly hid them, hoping that her former boyfriend with be okay after battling Superman.

"Want more?" Batman finally asked, his voice a deadly whisper. The other heroes' and heroines' eyes strayed to Superman, who looked at the Caped Crusader's stance.

For a long, tense moment, neither hero moved. Then, like a coiled serpent, Batman struck. Superman, however, was ready. He moved with super speed behind the Dark Knight and grabbed his arms, pinning them behind the Batman's black cape. The shorter hero managed to escape Superman's grip, but just barely. Like a shot, the Man of Tomorrow grabbed Batman's cape and pulled with all his might.

"If anyone's a mouse around here, it's _you!" _The Man of Steel hissed. "Or, haven't you heard that bats are just mice with wings?" He let go of the cape. It fell to the ground.

Batman yelled at that and Superman's remark, aiming a well timed judo maneuver at the Kryptonian.

"Better, perhaps, that she should date a real mouse rather than a pretentious, big blue boy scout!" the Dark Knight ground out. Both men sank to the ground and started pummeling each other.

Superman's super hearing caught the words, "...mud wrestling?" followed by calls and whoops as the heroes did nothing to stop the fight but were actually taking bets on who'd win. It was then that the Man of Steel stopped wrestling with his opponent. He offered Batman a hand. The Caped Crusader waved Superman off and got up on his own. Both saw the number of heroes and heroines still witnessing the scene.

"Look at us!" Superman said. "We're acting like a couple of five year olds!"

"Got that right..." a voice muttered from the crowd. The Batman glared at them. When most of them finally dispersed, he gave Superman a measuring look.

"The truth is, I know I'm right," Batman said finally. "She'll take your love and leave you hanging."

Now it was Superman's turn to show pity when he said, "I know that you're wrong. She hasn't stolen anything since we've gone out with each other. She's changed. I've seen the way she looks at me. I _know_ that this is the real thing." He gathered his thoughts together before continuing.

"But maybe you're right, Bruce," he admitted softly. "Maybe it is too late for her; maybe like a leopard, she won't change her spots. But if I care about her, I have to give her a chance. If she's trying to deceive me, I'll deal with that when the time comes."

He left the gym, not waiting for Bruce's comment. "Good luck, Clark," Selina's former love breathed. "I hope your naiveté doesn't fail you." He walked out of the gym past Nightwing, Wonder Woman and some other remaining heroes and heroines who wisely remained silent.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When the Man of Steel had teleported back to Metropolis, he got a call from the woman who had consumed his thoughts lately. "Hi," Selina's voice said over his cell phone.

"Hi, yourself," he said as he flew through the air.

He heard a pause as Selina's voice asked, "Where are you, Clark? I hear air whooshing."

"Oh..." Superman said in his timid voice, "I'm just...flying." Selina paid that no mind.

"Well, would you like for me to pick you up at Metropolis International?" he heard her ask.

"No, no," he assured her, "My vehicle's there. I'll meet you. Where would you to get together?"

"Your place," Selina said in a voice that was telling. Superman's heart beat rapidly as he considered the implications of what she wanted. He had trouble finding his voice.

"O-okay," he said in a higher, squeaky tone. After a brief moment, he used his normal voice, telling her, "But, I have to run an errand first. Can we, maybe, meet in about two hours from now?"

"Sure, Clark," Selina's voice said. "Till later, then."

The phone clicked and Superman sucked in a breath. He wanted to see her again, that much was certain. But when he did, he wanted to be prepared with the best advice imaginable as to how far he should go at this early juncture. The Man of Steel placed his phone back in his cape's pocket then flew to the one woman who could help him decide what to do.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

**A/N: For those who guessed the identity of the woman who would help Clark, you guessed correctly! In this chapter, he has a talk about Selina and how best to proceed in their relationship. Clark's middle name (yes, he has one,) is from Lois and Clark.**

**Disclaimer: Wish I did own Martha and any other publicly recognizable characters, including any references to Lois and Clark, but alas, I don't. Warner Brothers and their partners enjoy that privilege.**

**Anyway, please read and review.**

XXXXXXXXXXX

Superman landed behind the farmhouse just like he always had so that no one would see him changing into Clark's clothes. After spinning into some blue jeans and a white t shirt, he creaked on the three wooden steps when he entered the house. Letting the screen door bang loudly, Clark walked into the dining room.

A moment later, Martha came from the kitchen with a cherry pie.

"Hey, Ma," Clark greeted, taking the hot pie from her hands and setting it on the table to cool. He bent down and kissed Martha on the cheek.

Martha smiled, greeting, "Clark! What a pleasant surprise! Did you float in?"

"No, I flew, but I used the steps 'cause I heard snoring coming from the back," he said. "Do you have a gentleman caller, or something?"

Martha laughed, saying, "Now, what would I be doing with a gentleman caller? I'm much too old for that!"

"Aww, Ma," Clark protested, "You could never be old!"

"Thanks for the thought! Our neighbor Mr. Turner from down the street paid me a visit," Martha said. "His wife would have my guts for garters if she even thought I _looked _at Bill Turner funny."

Clark waited for his Ma to continue. "He's fixing my pipes and he got tired doing all that bending and stooping under the kitchen sink, so he asked me if he could take a snooze in the living room," Martha told her son.

"Oh," Clark responded, not quite knowing where to begin. He breathed on the still hot pie with super breath and when it was sufficiently chilled enough to eat, helped himself to an enormous slice.

"Clark, you just inhaled that!" Martha pronounced as she watched him gobble it down. Her eyes laced with concern, she asked, "Is there something on your mind? Is that why you came to see me?"

In the living room, Bill Turner turned so that his back was to Clark and Martha. Despite that, however, the shy reporter motioned for his Ma to come outside for privacy. The old woman complied. While they walked on the freshly mowed grass, Clark looked pensive.

"Ma, have you ever been in love with someone everyone else says is wrong for you?" Clark queried.

Martha laughed, answering, "Oh, yes. His name was Chuckie Henderson, and he was the richest man in Hadleyville, the next town over from us."

They sat on a huge tree stump while Martha paused.

Clark said, "I never heard of the Hendersons."

"Well, you wouldn't," Martha said. "They moved out of the area in 1940."

"Oh," Clark said. After a beat, he asked, "Well, how did you know he wasn't right and Pa was?"

Martha looked ahead, casting her mind toward the memory of Charles H. Henderson. Clark glanced at her, waiting for her to speak.

"I was only a young girl at the time, but he would come by my parents' house, particularly when they were out checking the farm. Chuckers always seemed to know when they weren't home," Clark's Ma said.

"Chuckers?" Clark inquired. Martha nodded.

"We all called him that," she said. "Can't remember why, though."

"His knowing when your parents weren't home would have been a red flag for me," Clark said wryly. Martha sighed.

"Yes, you're right," Martha said, "but as I said, I was a teenager at that time. Teenagers, and even some adults, don't always know what's best for them, particularly when they fall in love."

Clark thought about that. His girlfriends over the years had been adequate, but none of them had been the one woman he knew he could settle down with. The Kryptonian had thought that Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, and even Diana were the Ones, but after the relationships ended, Clark realized that he'd been mistaken.

Then came Lois Lane. He remembered how, when he'd first seen her in his nerdy attire at the Daily Planet, he'd been struck by lightning. She was intelligent, passionate, fiery. Her face had been a little too long to be classically beautiful, and her lips were too full, but to him she was the most perfect being he had ever seen. When he first held her in his arms as Superman during the time he had saved her from a helicopter that was about to crash, he could tell that she thought she'd died and gone to Heaven. But, for Clark, it was the other way around. He knew that he had fallen in love.

He had dated her as Clark just as he was doing with Selina, and when Lois had dubbed him Superman, he'd also made her his personal pet project. He trotted behind her like a super powered puppy, saving Lois whenever her penchant for chasing a story always got her into trouble (which was pretty often). Everything would have been wonderful, except for the time when she'd found out who he was during their trip to Niagara Falls.

When he'd had to erase the memories of their time together as a couple, the relationship had taken a terrible turn for the worst. What had hurt the most was that Clark had really thought he'd be able to make things work with Lois. After returning from his five year departure, he'd had the naïve notion that she would be available.

But, that ship had sailed with Richard's arrival and subsequent marriage proposal, and Clark had grown up concerning matters of love. He had realized that it would take a special woman, someone who was more than the average mortal; someone who could reconcile with his being away from her whenever his life as Superman demanded that.

He supposed that Ma had also needed a very special man to keep up with her passionate nature, but who also knew how to rein her in, if needed.

By the time he returned to the present, Clark's Ma had told him about how she'd first met Chuck Henderson...and the other man that was Jonathan Kent.

"What did Henderson look like?" Clark asked. Martha smiled.

"Chuckers had sable colored hair, thick and wavy. And his muscles were not too big, you understand, just the right size," his adoptive mother said. "Whenever he walked into a room and flashed his baby blues at the girls, they just melted, including me."

_I felt that way when Lana did__ that with hers, too, _Clark thought.

"When he stopped by my desk, I was thinking, 'wow!'" Martha related to her son. Clark smiled, but then he frowned as he wondered about his father.

"What about Pa?" Clark inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, Clark," Martha told her son. "I loved your father, ever since I'd met him the year before at a social gathering. Jonathan was tall, kinda thin, but Chuckers, he was special!"

"Like chocolate ice cream?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Martha responded. "You know vanilla will always be there, but you crave chocolate once in a while because it's out of the ordinary."

He switched his position so that he could hear more of his mother's account.

"Anyway, our families thought we were the perfect couple," she said. "Everyone knew it! As I said before, the Hendersons came from money, but my family and the Kents didn't. My mother liked Jonathan, but my father liked Chuckers. Dad said that he seemed like the perfect man, and he started out to be, but...".

They got up and walked back t o the house. Clark went into the kitchen and grabbed two pieces of the pie for himself and Martha. He also gave her a glass of ice cold milk in addition to the pie plate. While they ate, Martha went on.

"But?" Clark prompted.

"But after we'd been together for about a year, I had noticed…things. Little things, like the fact that we didn't see eye to eye on some important issues," Martha told her son.

"Like what?" Clark wanted to know. He drank some milk.

"For starters, Chuckers always thought it necessary to flaunt his money, particularly when he bought me gifts," Martha answered. "Jonathan didn't."

Before Clark said a word, she continued. "Chuckers also regarded the people of Smallville and Hadleyville with criticism and disdain, even though they went out of their way to be nice," she said. "He thought we were above everyone, you see, even above his own parents in class and stature. Your Pa didn't feel that way. He treated everyone the same, and Jonathan felt that no one was any better than anyone else."

Clark nodded, saying, "Ohh…".

Martha said, "The big kicker was that Chuck hated children. Jonathan loved kids." They ate some more pie and drank some milk before Martha spoke again.

So, it was no surprise that when he kissed me, there was something missing," she said. "By the time my eighteenth birthday rolled around, I just knew he wasn't the right man."

Martha sighed, saying, "Chuck never realized all that. When he sensed I was drifting apart from him, he thought he needed _more_ money to impress me. He threw in with some men passing through town who weren't exactly Kosher." Martha's son frowned at that.

Clark queried, "Did you get out of your relationship with him when you found out?"

"I got out of it _before_ I found out," Martha said. Clark breathed a sigh of relief and finished his milk.

"We never found out the particulars," Ma told him. "But next thing we knew, the Hendersons were gone from Smallville, never to return again. It was years later that I'd found out that Chuckers had lost everything. He had moved to a home in Illinois and he'd supposedly lost millions because of a scandal with the IRS, I think."

When she finished her tale, Clark got up and took his and her plates into the kitchen. He put them in the dishwasher with the other dirty dishes and started the rinse cycle. While it was running, Clark contemplated the pie tin sitting on the dining nook table.

"Ma," he said, "I'm with someone who...". He paused, not able to find the right words.

Martha's arm shot out and she stroked Clark's shoulder with motherly concern. "It's okay, Clark," she tried to reassure him. "You can tell me." She dropped her arm and waited.

Taking a deep breath, Martha's adopted son told her about Selina and her reputation as the Catwoman. He also related his fellow heroes' negative or dubious opinions. Clark's mother listened intently, only pausing to nod.

When he had finished speaking, Martha said, "I see."

Clark was surprised. He had expected his mother to be upset or even mildly annoyed, but she seemed to be calm and collected.

His brows drawing together with confusion, Clark asked, "You aren't angry with me?"

"Why should I be, son?" Martha asked. He looked at the ground sheepishly, just like he always had whenever Ma had caught him doing something wrong.

"Because she's a cat burglar," Clark said, "or at least, she was."

Martha shrugged. They went into the living room and, when they saw that the couch had been vacated, sat on it.

"Are you in love with her?" Ma wanted to know.

"I'm crazy about her," Clark replied honestly.

Martha said, "If you're sweet on her, who am I to judge? You've always made the right decisions, Clark, and as long as your heart and head are together on this, that's what matters."

He hugged her, saying, "Thanks, Ma." When they pulled apart, he said, "But, what about her past?"

"Look, son," Martha told him, "I can't render an opinion when I haven't even met her yet. Besides, it seems to me that those yahoos you work with want to reject her because it's easier to do that rather than accept the fact that people really can change if they want to."

He grinned, his love for his adopted mother growing even greater than it already was. After a moment, however, Clark told Martha, "Ma, there's something else I haven't said. I...haven't revealed my identity to her." Before she could react, Clark related the reason he hadn't told Selina about his two identities.

"Clark Jerome Kent!" Martha exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that you're two timing her _and _yourself?" She slapped him on his shoulder, wincing at the pain.

"I raised you better than that!" Ma shouted.

"I know, Ma, but..." Clark protested. Martha grabbed his ear and tweaked it hard.

"Ma!" He wailed.

"No 'buts' Clark," she said. "You can't have _any _healthy, loving relationship living a lie! You march straight over to her home and you _tell her the truth, _or so help me God, I will cane your behind with a Kryptonite switch!"

Clark shuddered at that. He knew his mother was really mad. "I guess I should clue her in..." he said reluctantly.

"If you really love her, you should tell her!" Martha advised. "Tell her just like your Pa told me that he loved me after that stuff with Chuckers happened."

Clark nodded, saying, "You're right, Ma. I owe her that." Martha hugged him, pleased that he would do the right thing. He spun back into his Superman costume.

"And son," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Yes?" Clark asked.

"I would love to meet her after you tell her," Martha said. "Bring her by for dinner sometime!"

"Sure, Ma," Clark said. He took off for Selina's apartment, glad that he'd talked with his mother and ready to confess everything.


	22. Chapter 22

STEEL THY HEART

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

**A/N: Okay, okay, I know everyone's a little annoyed (or at the very least disappointed) while waiting and waiting for an update, so I deeply apologize. I really have been struggling, not only with this chapter as my muse flew off to a distant spot, but also with my health issues, and once again, I'm sorry.**

**In any case, here is a chapter for you, picking up where Ma Kent left off, and where Superman decides to tell Selina his all-important secret. An old flame returns, too.**

Lois Lane actually whistled as she walked down the street to the Daily Planet. She then hummed her and Richard's favorite tune, totally happy for the first time in weeks. She'd had a fantastic honeymoon, and she couldn't wait to tell Jimmy, Clark, and later after work, her sister about it.

Distracted by her good fortune lately, Lois failed to see a non descript Toyota following her. Inside, a Greek looking man and his Caucasian friend looked at the reporter. The Greek man's eyes twinkled with excitement. The other man held up a recent photograph of Lois. He nodded to his swarthy companion, who nodded in confirmation.

"He will be pleased at this turn of events," he said. His eyes scanned the city block Lois turned down and started walking on. The driver, another Caucasian with lighter hair than the other, parked the car by the Planet's entrance. Both the Greek man and the other, darker haired Caucasian exited the vehicle. From his pocket, the Greek man pulled out a gun discretely.

Lois was about to enter the building when the Greek man pressed the gun into the small of her back.

"Who are you?" Lois inquired, her mind racing to find a self defense move that she could execute.

"No names," the man snarled in her ear. Just then, Jimmy Olsen came out. Lois tried to send a silent message with her eyes that said to "get help". Unfortunately, Jimmy didn't take the hint.

"Miss Lane!" the teenager shouted. "Welcome back."

Lois was stiff as the man moved the gun along her spine. At the same time, he whispered, "Tell him you'll see him later, and no tricks, or he gets it!"

"Jimmy…" Lois started saying, trying to come up with a plausible code to tell Jimmy about her plight, but the second man who had been a passenger came out of the car, patting his pocket.

Lois forced as much calm as she could into her voice, telling her co worker that she'd see him later to tell him about her trip. Jimmy's eyes scanned the men. He was trying to remember if he'd ever seen them before. When his mind didn't conjure up any memories, Jimmy scrutinized the men once more.

"Friends of yours?" the photojournalist asked. The Greek man whispered something in her ear.

"Informants," Lois answered, responding to his command. "We're going to a secret location. It seems they want to show me something. Are you heading toward the Rialto theatre?"

Jimmy realized that Lois was in some kind of trouble, since the Rialto had burned down last month and was under renovation.

He had prided himself on noticing small details, like the man with a suspicious bulge in his pocket. Jimmy took a chance that the men didn't know about the Spanish he'd learned from a year of intensive study at college or about the theatre.

"You mean where the movie _Dos Tipos Malos Con Armas de Fuego _is playing?" He asked Lois. Her eyes flicked to him, since she had learned a bit of Spanish having done several stories in Hispanic neighborhoods. Lois had taken night courses to learn Spanish in order to more properly interview any sources of information.

"Yeah," she told Jimmy. When Jimmy responded in the positive, the Greek man's companion told Lois, "Let's go, Ms. Lane. Hopefully, our business won't take too long. You may even make it in time for the rest of the film."

The Greek man was thinking about what Lois had told her co worker. He would find out the truth as soon as they got the Lane woman back to the hideout. Meanwhile, Jimmy thought, _be calm, don't let them suspect. _Jimmy managed to be outwardly calm, but inside, he was terrified. He forced his mind to come up with a plan.

"I've seen that movie," Lois responded. "It really isn't that good. But Richard or Clark might like it."

Jimmy said, "Maybe. Well, see ya later. I can't wait to hear about your trip." The two men would have made a grab for Jimmy but several passersby would have commented, or something, they reasoned. Besides, the man who'd hired them was paying only for Ms. Lane.

The Greek man said, "You have a meeting with us right now, Ms. Lane. Perhaps we should leave this man to his film."

Lois nodded, getting into the car. The other men got in after her in their regular seats as the driver rode away calmly. When they'd gone, Jimmy buzzed his signal watch. He waited a few moments, then he buzzed it again, hoping that the Man of Steel would arrive so that he could tell Superman about Lois.

Jimmy's blue eyes filled with worry when he realized after ten minutes that Superman wasn't coming. He used his cell phone and hurriedly dialed a number.

"9-1-1," a voice responded.

"Metropolis police?" Jimmy asked hurriedly. When the voice responded in kind, the photojournalist said, "I need to speak to Maggie Sawyer! It's an emergency." He waited impatiently for someone to respond.

XXXXXXXXX

Inside the car, the Greek man snarled at the woman next to him, "You think you were being clever Ms. Lane, but your little friend will be dealt with."

Lois knew better than to tip them off that Jimmy was probably getting Superman, or at the very least, the police. She looked toward the window but said nothing.

"If your friend _did _call, it means little to us," the Caucasian man said calmly. Lois wondered what he'd meant by that statement.

She frowned as she tried to figure out the reason for her abduction and the odd thing the man said as the car went down the street.

XXXXXXXXX

Superman scanned the damage to Selina's apartment in his guise as Clark Kent. He had been waiting for her patiently at his apartment for some time so that he could tell her his secret. When Selina hadn't shown up, however, Clark had tried calling her at home.

Several messages later, Clark guessed that something was wrong. Selina might leave town in a hurry, but since she'd seemed so eager to see him, he wasn't buying that. Something had to have happened to her, so he flew over to her place as Superman and found a secret location to change.

When he arrived, her door was locked. A turn of the door handle with his super strength confirmed his hunch. Selina had been getting ready to meet him, which he found out when he spied her computer with its "to do" list still displayed, but apparently, someone else had gotten there first, judging from the ransacked drawers and closets.

His microscopic vision was in full swing, his blue eyes covering the apartment inch-by-inch looking for clues. A tiny shell on the ground caught his eye. Taking out a handkerchief from his right pocket, Clark picked it up, studying it. It wasn't a bullet casing, but a hypodermic dart. The reporter looked around for any plastic bags to place the dart in. When he found one inside Selina's cupboard, he placed the dart into the bag.

"No doubt about it," he mused. "Whoever left this here wants me to find him or her." He heard Jimmy's watch and decided to postpone answering the call. Jimmy sometimes used the watch callously, Selina was more important at the moment. Clark was about to leave the apartment to go to Star Labs or the Watchtower to have the dart analyzed when the phone rang. He picked it up.

"Hello?" Clark asked.

"Mr. Kent?" a voice asked. " Kent?"

Clark had hoped he hadn't been right about the kidnapper of Selina wanting to reach him, but he knew he was correct.

"Yes…" he shyly answered. "This is Clark Kent. Who is this?"

"Who I am is not nearly as important as who I've got with me," the voice responded.

Clark was furious. Whoever this was, and he had a pretty good idea that the person worked for Shardov or the doppelganger, somehow knew about his whereabouts and Selina's. He knew he had to play by the abductor's rules for the time being. He considered bursting in as Superman, but if the kidnapper knew about his "relationship" with Clark's alter ego, he could do something terrible to Selina. That, he would not permit.

"What do you want? Where is she?" Clark asked, all pretense of timidity gone.

"A better question might be: where are _they?" _the male voice asked.

Clark's heart beat madly. "Where are _they?" _He repeated. "Who've you got with you?"

"Oh, two women you are very close to: Ms. Lois Lane, who is on her way here, and Ms. Selina Kyle," the abductor told him. "Call it my wacky way of inviting them to tea."

"Don't touch them," Clark said, wondering when Lois had returned. "I'm warning you."

The kidnapper's voice was harsh. "Now you listen to me, Mr. Kent. I'm warning _you! _I know all about you: who you are, where you live, and all of your secrets. If you involve your big, blue 'friend', and I use the term loosely, there won't be enough of these charming young ladies to stuff into a tea bag. Do you understand?"

Clark gripped the phone tightly. His eyes were filled with concern, not only for Selina and for Lois, but for the secret the abductor said he knew. Was the man bluffing? Did the man know somehow that Clark was Superman? He knew he could have tried to be demanding as the Man of Steel, but for the moment, the kidnapper held a royal flush in his machinations.

Clark decided he'd better go in his civilian clothes for this one. "Where can I meet you?" He asked, sounding resigned but angry inside.

The man said, "I wouldn't dream of subjecting you to a trip in your car, Mr. Kent. We'll meet you."

He heard sinister laughter on the phone as the ringing doorbell alerted the reporter to the two men that would take him to their destination. Opening the door, Clark saw two casually dressed tall, muscular men. Thinking about Lois and Selina again, the reporter went with the thugs.


	23. Chapter 23

STEEL THY HEART

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

**A/N: The doppleganger's partner make things tough for Clark. Jimmy tries to help, but gets in over his head.**

**Again, thanks for all of the reviews and alerts, as well as marking this story a favorite. They are the best encouragement any writer can hope for!**

XXXXXXXXXXX

"C'mon…c'mon!" Jimmy muttered as he waited for someone to pick up the phone. He'd taken a snapshot of the car as it pulled away with Lois so that he would be able to give the license plate number to the police. He wished that he could give the number to Superman.

On what seemed like the twelfth ring, Jimmy heard the sound of someone answering.

_Thank God! _He thought.

"Metropolis Police," the female voice said tiredly.

"I want to report a kidnapping," Jimmy said frantically.

"One moment," the voice said. After about five minutes, another voice answered.

"Missing persons," another voice, this one male, said.

"I want to report a kidnapping," Jimmy repeated, hoping that he sounded urgent enough.

"You need to contact abductions, sir," the voice responded. "MPD doesn't handle kidnappings in this department."

Jimmy covered the receiver and huffed at having been given the runaround. He forced himself to remain calm; getting upset wouldn't help Lois.

"I need to speak to Maggie Sawyer," the red haired photographer said.

"Ms. Sawyer is on a Code Five and can't be disturbed, sir," the male voice responded.

Jimmy knew enough police lingo to realize that meant that Maggie was on a stakeout.

"Well, send someone else! This is about Lois Lane and an _abduction!"_ He shouted, hoping that someone would respond.

"Did you see the person who abducted her, sir?" The voice asked.

"Yeah," Jimmy told them, "and I got a picture of the license plate as they drove away."

"Okay, we'll follow up on it," the voice told Jimmy. "Give us any details on the license plate and a description of the felons."

Jimmy gave the voice all the information he had before asking, "How long will it take for you to get here?"

When the voice replied that it would take at least an hour, Jimmy cried, "That's not good enough! Anybody who meant Ms. Lane harm would kill her in that time! Can't you respond sooner?"

"Look, sir," the voice tried to project a calming tone that was instead patronizing, "there are several homicides, burglaries, kidnappings and other emergencies that are just as important, if not more. We will try to be there to help, or you can come down and go through the mug shots to identify whoever took your girlfriend. But that's the best we can do for now. If you think of anything else, call, but try to be patient."

_Patient! _Jimmy thought, ending the call on his cell phone. _In a pig's eye!_ He tried to buzz Superman once more, but when he failed to come, Jimmy's mind seized on the only plan he could.

If Superman couldn't come and the police wouldn't come until much later, Jimmy would follow the trail and do the best he could. He went to where his motorcycle was parked, dressed in a hurry in his protective gear and rode down the street.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clark saw the buildings whiz by as the car sped toward its destination. He toyed with the idea of knocking the men unconscious before one of the men chained his wrists to the door handle.

"Wh-where are you taking me?" Clark inquired, his mask of timidity in place.

"Just hang loose, Mr. Kent," one man, a distinguished looking dark skinned person, instructed. Before Clark could make a move, the man told him, "And by the way, if you do anything heroic, it will be the last hurrah for your friends."

Clark knew that the men meant business; besides, he reasoned, the journalist in him wanted to know just who was behind the shenanigans. Obviously, Clark reasoned, they wanted him and the others pretty bad or they wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.

He wondered if his old "pal" Lex was behind this but then quickly threw that notion aside. Clark had no doubt that the bald billionaire could have come up with this ruse, but Lex tended to want to grab the spotlight every step of the way, and the shy reporter couldn't imagine him keeping a low profile without identifying himself. Lex's ego wouldn't permit that.

It could have been the Parasite, Clark thought, since he'd read that the criminal was let out on parole recently.

But the Parasite would have wanted to grab his intended meal from the beginning since he loved draining people so that he would wind up being energized by their strength.

So, strike two for Clark's ruminations. He focused on looking out of his window to see where he was, but suddenly he heard the sound of a mist being deployed.

"Uh, uh, uh, Mr. Kent," the man who had spoken to Clark said, shaking his Ebony colored finger back and forth.

Suddenly, Clark saw that the clear windows were now enveloped in darkness. There was only a sliver of light from the reporter's end which was up front where the driver steered. Clark had to hand it to these men: whoever pulled their strings was intelligent and crafty. The reporter pretended that he couldn't see. In actuality, Clark could tell that they were headed toward the marina.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Jimmy cut the motor to his cycle after pulling up near the marina to follow the trail the men had taken. He recognized the license plate and put the number through his cell phone which tied into the Daily Planet's data base.

The information that came up was no big surprise. _Stolen! _The cub reporter thought when he saw the report that had been filed three days ago.

Jimmy tried to send a message—this one a texted one—but like some other police stations around the country, the Metropolis Police data base had trouble processing text messages.

"For crying out loud!" Jimmy shouted to no one in particular, or so he thought.

"What are you doing here?" A voice belonging to a woman asked from behind.

The photographer had to think fast. "Me?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound too afraid.

Then Jimmy's eyes caught his motorcycle. He turned to regard the woman; a platinum blonde several inches taller than he. She wore dark aviator glasses and a black leather jacket that was a wrap around with silver studs and had matching pants. Her hands were covered with gloves. The rest of the leather looked like it had been sewn on her; other than that, she had no identifying marks on her.

"Well, I made plans to meet my girlfriend, but the bimbo stood me up!" Jimmy shouted, pretending to be angry. "Then my motorcycle conked out and I was trying to fix it! Ain't that the luck?"

The girl looked him up and down, and, though he didn't look like he was staring at her, Jimmy took in any peculiarities he could note, particularly since his hackles went up the minute she'd spoken to him. It seemed that since she was as out of place as he was, she had to be working with the men who'd taken Lois.

From behind her sunglasses she studied Jimmy. She didn't think he was a plant, but who could tell? Before she could rule in on her musings, the girl's phone sounded. She pressed a button and walked away from the red headed photographer.

"Yeah?" she asked into the receiver. "Okay, I'll be there….no, some kid who was looking for his girl….okay. Bye."

The girl hung up the receiver as Jimmy wished he had Superman's super hearing just then. He could have heard whether Lois was nearby if he had _that! _Jimmy also could have repelled bullets off of his chest as he saw the girl pull out a gun.

"Nothin' personal, kid," she said, cocking it and preparing to fire.

Jimmy put up his hands and cried, "Hey, look, I was just trying to hook up with my girl! It was the 'bimbo' line, right? Sorry for that one."

He started backing up until he couldn't anymore as he found that he was against a metal door. Jimmy inwardly prayed that the door was partly open so that he could get away from the shooter. He slowly put his hand in back to see if it met air and was glad it did.

When the girl squeezed the trigger, Jimmy fell back into the darkness behind the massive door.

"Hey!" the girl shouted, ducking into the blackness. She fired several shots into it, hoping that the lack of light would give her an advantage and allow her to hit him.

His eyes adjusting to the dark, Jimmy felt her hand and he grabbed her from behind, delivering a chop to her neck. When he heard her slump to the ground, Jimmy risked pulling the tiny digital camera that was in his pocket and putting on its light that he used for night shots.

Jimmy didn't see the other attacker sneak up from behind him as he lost consciousness a moment later.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clark was gagged and blindfolded, and his handcuffs removed, as the men put shackles on his wrists. He allowed one moment of defiance, lifting his head as he regarded his captors with his x ray vision, his desire to deal with them as Superman growing.

The men were unaware of his inner struggle as they led him to another, smaller room without any windows, save for the one that was too small for any person to crawl through. It was on the side of the room and had bars. When the thugs removed his blindfold and gag and pressed him closer to both Lois and Selina, who were also bound in the same manner, Clark asked, "What's going on? Why do you need all of us? What's this all about?"

From out of the darkness, a man with a thick salt-and-pepper beard and a finely cut grey suit said, "Why, revenge, Mr. Kent, or should I say, 'Superman'?"

Selina and Lois had the same reaction: pure shock. The man smiled a triumphant grin of superiority, and Clark's mind raced as he considered the best way to talk his nemesis, Igor Shardov, out of his declaration.


End file.
